Nothing Is As It Seems
by puppetmonkey5562
Summary: Rei's in a juvenile detention center, and Kira's a mute, and in a psychiatric ward.They meet when Rei has to volunteer at the young adult psychiatric ward.They both have deep rooted secrets.Will they ever overcome their differences and become the lovers t
1. Meeting You

Disclaimer: I do not own Mars.  
  
"What are we here for again?" Rei asked, strumming his fingers against the table. More than anything he hated meeting with his correctional officer. He was a nice enough guy, but something about him struck Rei as fake.  
  
"I'm glad that you're so enthusiastic Rei," said Mr. Asaba, taking a moment to look at the boys in front of him. "In order to get out of juvenile detention hall you'll have to complete a certain amount of community service hours," Mr. Asaba began to explain, tightening his black and white striped tie.  
  
"You know what? I kind of like it here," Akira joked, motioning to the grayish meat on his metal tray.  
  
"Don't we all? However, if you don't get out of here by eighteen you go to the big house, with big men. Big men that haven't seen any women in years...." Mr. Asaba explained, waggling his thick dark brown eyebrows at Akira.  
  
"Ugh! Gross!" Hideaki cried out in his shrill voice, clamping his hands over his ears.  
  
"As I was saying, you guys need community service hours. The local young adult psychiatric ward has agreed to allow you to help out there," Mr. Asaba said proudly.  
  
"Psychiatric ward!? You can't be serious!" Rei said, frowning deeply. He looked to his two friends for support, but got none.  
  
"If you ever want to get out of here you'll do it all right? I'm doing this for you, not me remember?" Mr. Asaba retorted cooly, folding his hands on the table.  
  
He waited for a while, listening for any last comments before going on to explain what their duties would be.  
  
"How exciting, we're going to become candy stripers!" Akira said, in a fake high-pitched bubbly voice as he pranced down the halls of the juvenile detention center. This earned him some strange looks from the other inmates.  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah, you may be excited, but I'm pissed off. Do you know what this means!" Rei exclaimed, running a hand through his long blonde hair. "We have to wake up everyday at five, to get to the ward by six, and we have to spend nine freaking hours there!"  
  
"Come on, it's not like you have anything more interesting to do! Your girlfriend doesn't even come to visit you anymore!" Akira said with a chuckle.  
  
"At least I have a girlfriend," Rei replied, crossing his arms against his chest. They all knew that before he was placed in juvenile hall he had an entire harem of girls.  
  
"Had you mean, had," Akira replied. Even Hideaki couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't often that someone poked fun at Rei. Most people were afraid of him because of the rumors that were spread about him.  
  
Rei replied by glaring at Akira gravely to let him know that he'd crossed the lines.  
  
"Alright, alright chill out!" Akira said, backing down.  
  
They walked back to their cells in silence.  
  
They all sat in a circle.  
  
"Hello..." the new intern began, straightening out her new chanel suit before sitting. "Perhaps we should begin by going around in a circle and giving our names and saying a little something about ourselves," she looked around for signs of approval. "I'll start with myself then," she then stood up. "My name is Maria, I am twenty three years old. Um... I just moved out of my 'rents suburban home last month. I now own a duplex in the city. That's about all, next," Maria finished, looking at the girl next to her.  
  
The girl looked straight back at her. "Start with your name," Maria explained slowly.  
  
"I don't believe in boxes," she replied, just as slowly and began to stroke the scars on her pale arm.  
  
"Yeah, that's nice. Now tell me your name," Maria replied, feeling herself slowly becoming annoyed.  
  
"A name is a box, so I will not allow myself to be placed in one," the girl replied.  
  
Maria's phone began to ring and she excused herself to take the call.  
  
"Hey!" Catherine called. "You, with the pigtails!" When she didn't respond she went over to poke her. Although she was standing right in front of her, the girl would not look up at her. "What's your name?"  
  
The reply was silence.  
  
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" she said loudly, jerking Kira's head up.  
  
The second Catherine touched her Kira started screaming. It was loud and unearthly, she didn't even stop when Catherine jumped away from her.  
  
"What's wrong?!" cried a nurse as she ran into the room. Her very clean white sneakers making high pitched squeaks with every move she made.  
  
"I don't know what happened, she just started screaming!" Catherine replied, holding her hands in the air to prove that she was innocent.  
  
The next morning the three boys stood at the door of the psychiatric ward. Although none of them wanted to be there, they were glad to be able to wear normal clothes instead of the bright orange overalls.  
  
"Good morning boys," a woman greeted them, offering a frail hand to each one of them. "My name is Edith, I'm the founder of this home for females with psychioligical issues."  
Rei's eyebrows shot up at the word females. He couldn't remember the last time he saw one, completely sane, or mentally challenged, it didn't matter to him that much anymore.  
She then invited them inside. The first thing the boys noticed was the strange smell. Everything seemed so unnaturally clean. The white everywhere didn't help either.  
  
After briefing them on what they were going to do today she introduced each one of them to the girl they'd be aiding.  
  
"I have a special one for you Mr. Kashino," Edith said with a smile, taking his large hands in hers and leading him down the hall.  
  
"A special one? For me? Why?" Rei asked, trying to back away from Edith.  
  
"You're a looker, that's why. My, what I would have done with you had I been your age," Edith joked. "Her name is Kira Aso, she's down the hall, last door on the left."  
  
Rei walked down the hall. Somehing about the place made him shudder, it was worse than the juvenile detention hall. Everything was quiet, and so clean it was scary.  
  
He knocked on the heavy white door before entering.  
  
The room was small and simple. The tiles were large and white, the walls were also white. To the right, there was a cot with a thin mattrass with thin white bed linnen.  
  
"Um, hey," Rei said casually, trying to open up a conversation.  
  
The pale girl on the chair stared blankly out of the small window.  
  
"I'm Rei Kashino. I was assigned to be your companion, or something like that," he explained, her silence was making him nervous. He never had problems with getting a girl to talk to him.  
  
She still ignored him.  
  
Rei sighed in defeat and sat on the chair across from her. As he sat there he studied her features. Her eyes were painfully dull. Her face was a emotionless mask, her skin almost the same color as the walls. She was beautiful in a way, like a fallen angel.  
  
They sat there until their session was over, Rei in complete awe, and Kira completely oblivious to his presense. 


	2. Temporary Connection

Disclaimer: I do not own Mars  
  
Responses to Reviews:  
  
man- Yup, that must have hurt his ego! Yay, I'm glad that you like the story so far.  
  
Moonmaiden625- Hello! Yeah, Rei's luck is a bit down in this story isn't it? Rei does seem to be an ass. I'm glad my stories can get your blood boiling though. There is a bit of chemistry between Rei and Kira, and things will heat up eventually. I wont forget about the other mars fiction, I've got the next chapter half finished.  
  
verauko- Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I hope to have the next chapter up soon.  
  
IcyWindShine- I'm really sorry for the jumpiness. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I'll try my best to clear everything up as I go. Um... I don't know much about mute people, and I should have done a little research before posting the first chapter. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
The Story-  
  
"Okay, time is up. Say your goodbyes. You'll see each other again tomorrow," Edith called from the end of the hall, so Rei would hear her.  
  
He sighed in relief as he picked up his back pack and headed for the door.  
  
"Hey! Why didn't you tell me that Kira's mute!?" Rei cried angrily when he spotted Edith handing out milk and cookies to the boys.  
  
"Oh, it must have slipped my mind!" she replied dramatically, placing a wrinkled hand on her chest.  
  
He rolled his eyes and walked angrily out the door.  
  
"Hey Rei, why aren't you inside eating your snack like the other guys?" Mr. Asaba asked as he lit his cigarette.  
  
"I don't want to be in there any longer than I have to," he replied moodily as he sat on the steps.  
  
"It can't be that bad," Mr. Asaba said, bringing the cigarette to his thin lips.  
  
"Whatever, do you have another one?" Rei asked, holding out his hand.  
  
"Yes," Mr. Asaba replied. "You're under age though."  
  
"Come on, don't tell me that you waited until you were twenty one to smoke," said Rei.  
  
Mr. Asaba shrugged, but didn't give him a cigarette.  
  
"Hey man, I was looking for you!" Akira cried as he stepped out of the door. "What are you doing, hiding out here with Asaba?" he asked, kicking Rei gently.  
  
"It fucking sucks in there. They gave me a goddamn mute!" Rei complained, getting to his feet.  
  
"You've got to be kidding!" Akira said in-between chuckles. "Your luck is just as bad as Hideaki's. He has some aggressive butchy chick. She turned his fragile arm black and blue."  
  
Although Rei was angry, he couldn't help but laugh. He could imagine small Hideaki crying for mercy as the girl had him in a headlock.  
  
"That fag," Rei said, shaking his head.  
  
"I wonder what he got in for," Akira asked thoughtfully, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair.  
  
"Probably got caught stealing from Victoria's Secret, or some lame shit like that," Rei said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black hoodie.  
  
At this Akira started cracking up.  
  
"You're too much Rei," he said when he finally caught his breath.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys laughing at?" Hideaki's voice chimed in.  
  
"Huh? Us, nothing," Akira said quickly.  
  
"Oh, Okay," Hideaki said, pleased with his answer. "So, what was your session like?"  
  
"It was okay. She's got a pretty face and all, but she's a complete whako. She attempted suicide three times! Only a lame ass would try to kill themselves!"  
  
At this Rei's usually gentle features went dark.  
  
"Take that back," Rei said angrily, his jaw tightening.  
  
"What!? No way," Akira said, getting ready to go on with his description of his patient.  
  
"I said take that back you asshole!" Rei said dangerously, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.  
  
"And I said no! The kids in your old neighborhood may have been intimidated by that shit, but I'm not. Any ways, Hideaki, not only is she suicidal, but she's also a drug..."  
  
At this Rei pounced on him, sending him flying to the ground. Rei then got on top of him and began punching him over and over.  
  
"What the fuck is your problem!" Akira cried out in anger and pain. He then began to retaliate, forming a vice grip around Rei's neck.  
  
"Hey guys! Stop it, stop it! Someone could get hurt!" Hideaki cried, his voice shrill with excitement.  
  
"Ay! Stop this right now! At this rate you guys will be inmates for life!" Asaba said angrily, picking Rei up by the collar.  
  
They stood far away from each other, casting each other angry glares every once in a while.  
  
"I'm not going to report this one, because it could earn you more months. However if you guys pull anything like this again, I will report it," Asaba said warningly as he got into his van, and unlocked the door for the rest of them to get in.  
  
They rode back to the detention center in silence.  
  
That night Rei laid on his cot for hours, trying to fall asleep. He thought about how things went so far, and how he ended up here. He chuckled when he thought about what he was like a year ago. Since his brother died he'd become unruly, and hung out with gangs, did drugs, got into fights nightly, and completely flunked school. He thought that he was invincible, and laughed in the police officer's faces when they threatened him. The one day he got caught stealing a car, and his father wouldn't bail him out. His blood ran cold thinking about his "father." He thought about his past a little more before finally falling asleep.  
  
"Good morning Rei, are you coming down for breakfast?" Hideaki asked, shaking Rei's shoulders violently.  
  
"Huh? What's going on!? I told you it wasn't my package!" Rei cried, jumping out of his bed.  
  
"Hey, chill out man. What's wrong with you, you're always so wound up," Akira said cooly, still a little ticked off by yesterday's fight.  
  
"Get off it," Rei said, grabbing his clothes and walking towards the showers.  
  
By the time he was ready and in front of the detention center everyone was already in the van.  
  
"There you are, we were going to leave without you," Asaba said as he started the ignition.  
  
They were outside of the ward within a half an hour. All three boys were dreading it, they never thought that their jobs would be so hard.  
  
When they got inside they knew exactly where to go, and didn't need to be told.  
  
Rei sighed heavily as he trudged down the sickly halls and towards her room. This time her door was wide open. She wasn't sitting towards the window either, she was sitting on the bed, facing the door. It were almost as if she'd been waiting for him.  
  
"Um, hey Kira," he said nervously, sitting on the chair across from her. "Um, so you're mute right? Um, yeah I guess so. So... do you understand what I'm saying and you just choose not to answer? Or are you completely brain dead or something?" he asked.  
  
She looked directly at him, for what was the first time.  
  
"Um, so I guess that's a yes then. So, since you wont, or can't talk I guess that I'll tell you a little about myself. Let's see... My name is Rei Kashino and I'm sixteen. Maybe you don't know this yet, but I'm in a juvenile correctional home. You've probably never been to one of those, so I'll tell you what it's like. You have to wear these bright orange overalls, just like the real thing. I guess that's a lame tactic for scaring people. The cafeteria is huge, and the food sucks. You go to classes and everything, and there are a few teams and stuff. The cots are so thin, and our bed linen isn't as nice as yours," he stopped to think. "Perhaps if I pleaded insanity or something I'd wind up with something nice like what you've got huh?"  
  
He felt her steady gaze intensify, and decided to move off to a different subject.  
  
"I like eating. My stomach is cast iron. You name it and I bet you I'd like it..." he chuckled to himself. The fact that she wouldn't talk was really getting in his way.  
  
"Aha, I've got an idea. It's clear that you get what I'm saying, so how about you hold my hand, and I'll ask you questions. If you answer yes then you squeeze once. If you answer no then squeeze twice!" he said, relieved that he'd found a way for them to communicate. He then extended a hand to her, and waited for her to take it.  
  
She stared at him, her lower lip appeared to tremble with fear.  
  
"Don't worry Kira, I don't bite," Rei said patiently.  
  
She bit her lip and took his hand shyly. Her pale face becoming redder by the moment.  
  
Rei gave her a toothy grin.  
  
"Okay, hmm... so where do I start?" he asked himself out loud. "Are you fourteen?"  
  
She squeezed his hand hard twice.  
  
"Hey! Not so violent, I'm fragile you know!" he joked. "Are you fifteen?"  
  
She squeezed his hand twice again, gentler than the first time though.  
  
"No way! Are you sixteen!?" he asked.  
  
She squeezed his hand once, trying desperately to keep her face void of all emotion.  
  
"Wow, you're a lot older than I thought you were. Hm... so how long have you been here? Two years?" he asked.  
  
She squeezed his hand twice.  
  
"Squeeze twice for more, and once for less," he replied.  
  
She squeezed his hand twice gently for more. Her eyes fell to the floor, as if in shame.  
  
"Three years?" he asked gently, loosening his grip on her frail hand.  
  
She squeezed once.  
  
"Wow, that's some pretty tough shit. Do you know when you're getting out?" he asked. She didn't respond, and he felt her hands get clammy. "Do you want to get out?"  
  
She squeezed his hand twice, and then pulled her hand away from his and went back to yesterday's spot near the window.  
  
He was utterly confused, and wondered where he'd gone wrong. What kind of person would want to be in a psychiatric ward? 


	3. Memories from a Black Canvas Bagpack

Disclaimer: I do not own Mars.  
  
Responses:  
  
Animefan rikku- Yay! I'm really glad that both you and bob like my story so far. Hmm... Bob gets angry when I don't review quickly... I guess that means I should hurry up with the next chapter! Thank you for reviewing!  
  
Blueseedfan- It's great that you're liking my story so far. I hope you keep reading!  
  
Verauko- You're welcome, thank you for reviewing. Wow, you're from Poland? That's pretty awesome. Although you may have a problem understanding english properly I couldn't tell by the way you wrote. If there's anything I can do to make reading the story easier to understand or anything like that, please let me know. Yup, I thought the squeezing part was cute also. Thank you for reading!  
  
MoonMaiden625- Yup, they are warming up to each other. Thanks for reviewing, and please keep reading!  
  
Optical Illusions- Yippee, I'm very happy that you're into the story so far. I have big plans for this one! Yay, I like questions! Good one, I'm glad you picked up on it. All will be explained later in the story.  
  
man- Evil... evil.. evil is my one and only name... Here's my next chapter, and thanks for reviewing.  
  
fallenangel152- Hello, yup, this is my second MARS story. Writing fanfiction is a lot of fun (especially if you have a lot of great reviewers!). Don't worry about not knowing what to write about, you'll think of something soon enough. Thanks a lot for reviewing for both of my stories (you, along with all the other New Student reviewers).  
  
Thank you all for reviewing this story! These reviews really help to get my creativity juices flowing. Yay, eleven reviews in less than ten days. That's really awesome. On with the story!  
  
"Hey Rei," Akira greeted him as he exited the facility and headed towards Asaba's van.  
  
"Hey..." Rei replied dryly, a little spaced by his meeting with Kira. It felt like a spaceship encounter. Things were just so different from yesterday. Kira was actually opening up a little. Not only was he feel enlightened, but he felt pretty special too.  
  
"What's up? What did you do with your psycho today?" Akira asked with a smug grin.  
  
"Nothing, same as yesterday," Rei replied with a casual shrug. He thought that his friends would think he were lame if he said what was really on his mind. He felt a little happy that they communicated together, and for some strange reason really wanted to get to know her better.  
  
"Oh, interesting. Mine was all right, her name's Becky I think. Still looks as fine as ever, but still crazy as hell. She always has this blank stare, and whenever I try to bring up a positive conversation she finds a way to make it seem morbid."  
  
"Hey, what happened to you?" Rei asked his voice raised with panic as he watched Hideaki limp out the door.  
  
"Don't ask," Asaba said as he exited after Hideaki, offering him more tissue to place over his bloodied nose.  
  
"His chick probably beat the shit out of him," Akira said with a shrug.  
  
Rei looked at Hideaki and shook his head in disappointment.  
  
"You'd think that a year in juvie would toughen him up," Akira added.  
  
The ride back was silent, Rei stared out the window, Akira was fast asleep and Hideaki was still crying.  
  
"T.V. Fridays, my favorite day of the week," Akira said blissfully as he plopped down on the large once cream sofa.  
  
Hideaki and Rei sat down on either side of him.  
  
"Hmm... so what's on tonight?" Akira said aloud to nobody in particular.  
  
"Um, there's this movie on channel ten," Hideaki suggested shyly.  
  
"It's on now?" he asked Hideaki impatiently.  
  
"Yes, I think so," Hideaki replied nervously. He rarely suggested what things to watch on tv.  
  
Akira looked at him for a brief moment, and then flipped to channel ten.  
  
"What the fuck is this shit?!" Akira cried, as he immediately changed to the next channel. "A Beautiful Mind?! What kind of bullshit is that!? Who gives a shit about the mind? I'd rather watch a movie about violence, cause that's where the fun is at. You're such a fag."  
  
Hideaki bowed his head low, and tried to ignore Akira's insults.  
  
"Beautiful mind," he snickered again.  
  
"It's an award winning movie Akira," Hideaki said softly in defense.  
  
"Shut up man, I don't even wanna hear from you anymore," he replied, putting his feet up on the coffee table in front of him.  
  
"Hey man, give him a break," Rei said calmly.  
  
"Aww, how sweet, Stick up his ass-Rei is coming to rescue his prince. Just like a knight in shining armor!" Akira cooed as he began to watch a football game.  
  
"You're such an ass man. Is putting down others that fun to you?" Rei asked, maintaining his cool.  
  
"Shut up Rei, and start learning how to handle your bitch Hideaki," Akira sneered. "Award winner, my ass," he sneered a few moments later.  
  
Hideaki left the room without a word, Rei watching as he left.  
  
"You're such a jerk-off," Rei said before following suit.  
  
Akira merely snickered in response and returned to his game.  
  
"Hey, you all right," Rei asked from outside Hideaki's cell.  
  
"Just fine, thanks for asking," he replied politely as he laid on his cot, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"No problem. Don't let what Akira said bother you, he doesn't mean half of what he says," Rei told him.  
  
"I wasn't offended," he replied in a monotonous voice, never moving his strong gaze from the ceiling.  
  
"Okay then, I'll see you later," Rei replied as he headed for the showers.  
  
He enjoyed his shower, it almost reminded him of when he was back home with his uncle, where he didn't have to share the shower with anyone. As the lukewarm water poured over his body he thought about Kira, and how peculiar she was. She looked so innocent, but as he learned the hard way, you could never judge people by the way they looked. She obviously seemed to be hiding something big.  
  
Exactly what it was, he didn't know. He began to wonder about why he even cared. When looking at her he often had to force himself to remember that he was only going there to get community service hours. The warm water suddenly turning to cold shattered his thoughts, and he quickly shut off the pipes and reached for his towel.  
  
Back in his room he dug underneath his cot and into his black canvas knapsack. That was all he came with when he was brought here. His uncle brought him the rest of his clothes a week after he'd been sent there. Inside his knapsack was where he kept the things that meant the most to him.  
  
He emptied out the contents onto his bed, shifting through them as he went. He smiled faintly as his fingers traced the photograph of himself and his twin brother Sei as children. Then he lifted the gold medal he earned in the youth motor cross race in California. It made him wonder what his life would have been like had he stayed there. He then came across the polaroid of his girlfriend. His heart froze over. Rei studied her features, her long blonde hair, button nose, pale face, striking blue eyes, and long and thin neck. He wondered what it was that made him fall in love with her to begin with. Although she was very pretty, she wasn't smart, witty, and her personality was bland. All she cared about was shopping and her appearance. He disliked her, but still missed her visits. She was always happy and bubbly, worrying about him, or gossiping about the people in the old neighborhood. Rei smiled faintly before pushing all his memories into his book bag, and drifting off to sleep.  
  
Author's Note- Hey, thanks for reading. So, how was the chapter? I think I did an okay job with the character development. Winter vacation is coming up soon, so I should have a lot of time to write new chapters. Please please please review! They make me uber happy. 


	4. Silence Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Mars.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
animefan rikku- Thank you for the compliment and the review. Yup yup, hopefully I'll have a lot of time to write chapters over the winter vacation.  
  
man- Yes, it is a useful tactic isn't it? It keeps readers coming back for more.  
  
Optical Illusions- Yup, that's my favorite word. Thanks for the review, I'll be looking forward to the next one.  
  
Dangerously Sweet- Yay, I'm glad to see a new face among the reviewers. Wonderful, I'm glad you like it, please come back for the next chapter.  
  
MoonMaiden625- Yeah, Akira is a jerk, but I think he offers some comic relief... sort of. Rei was into the trashy kind before meeting his beloved. I enjoy writing the visit parts the most and I'm glad you enjoy reading them. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
Happy Holidays, incase I don't write to any of you before then!  
  
"Hey," he said casually as he entered her room. For the first time he didn't notice the strange smell. "Hey, no fair. If I have to wake up early to get here you have be awake by the time I arrive!" he said jokingly.  
  
She was laying down, her arm dangling off the cot.  
  
He got closer to see if she was actually sleeping. He reached out to touch her pale arm.  
  
She jerked up and hid her arm from him the second she felt his fingers raze her.  
  
"Easy there, relax. I'm not gonna hurt you," he said asuringly, looking down at her.  
  
She felt her heart beat quicken and her heart rate speed. Suddenly it felt as if there wasn't enough room in there for the both of them.  
  
"What are you hiding there?" he questioned, his voice calm and soothing.  
  
She looked away from him and began to study the pattern of the white tiles.  
  
"Mind if I have a peek?" he pried. He waited for some kind of reply, and when he got none he took her hand from behind her back.  
  
He gasped softly when he saw the numerous scars on her arm.  
  
"Why?" he asked softly, his voice merely above a whisper, although he already knew the answer.  
  
She looked up at him with wide teary eyes, and then looked back at the floor, her light brown hair shading her face from him.  
  
He looked at the thin slits for a few more minutes before dropping it gingerly and sighing heavily.  
  
After a few moments of an awkward silence he came up with an idea.  
  
"Hey, let's get some fresh air," he said, taking her other hand and leading her out the door and towards the back door.  
  
Her eyes grew wide with surprise as she tried desperately to keep up with him. She doubted that what they were doing was allowed.  
  
He stopped when they reached the far side of the parking lot.  
  
"Much better isn't it?" he asked her although he didn't expect a reply. "So you cut yourself huh? I'd tell you that it's wrong, but hey who am I to ridicule? I sort of understand why you do it. I'm an ex- druggie slash ex-alchoholic any ways. I know that stuff like that can take the pain away," his blue eyes had a far away look in them. "There are other things out there that can take away the pain, you know?" he began to look down at the floor, he knew what he was getting at, but couldn't think of a way to convey his thoughts to her. "I know it sounds lame, but it's true," he asked.  
  
"How about this then, if you stop cutting, I'll take you out to ice- cream?" he said jokingly, lifting the dense fog of silence.  
  
At this moment she burst of laughing, almost causing Rei to fall off the hood of the car.  
  
"She makes sounds!" he cried, genuinely surprised.  
  
She gasped and covered her mouth. She looked up at him, her eyes stricken with fear.  
  
"You can't tell anybody," she whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of use.  
  
"And she talks too," he commented.  
  
"I swear it Rei. You can't say a word of this to anybody," she said, more forcefully.  
  
"Why shouldn't I? Other than the cutting thing you're fine," he asked, frowning deeply as he remembered that she'd said that she didn't want to leave.  
  
"They'll make me go back there... Rei, please you can't tell them! I can't go back there. I swear he'll kill me if I return!" she was frantic now, tears began to roll freely down her cheeks.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about? Who's going to kill you? Where are you talking about?" he asked her.  
  
"He will... my stepfather," she whispered as she began to sob.  
  
Rei wrapped his strong arms around her frail body, holding her carefully as she sobbed into his shirt.  
  
"Please Rei, don't let me go back there... I'd rather kill myself than go back to him," were her final words of the day.  
  
His heart ached deeply for her as he held her. He could feel her body heat, the slow and steady beat of her heart, and her hair brushed against his arms. For a moment he wished he could stay like this with her forever.  
  
"What the hell am I doing and what the hell am I thinking?" he wondered. This was highly uncharacteristic of him. He attempted to let her go, but she only held onto him tighter. He was surprised that her thin and pale arms were so strong  
  
Twenty minutes or more passed before she stopped crying.  
  
She looked up at him with her wide deer-like eyes.  
  
He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "That's better," he said softly.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said when she noticed the damp spot on his shirt.  
  
He looked down and touched the wet area on his chest. "Don't worry about it," he told her with a shrug.  
  
She sat next to him on the hood of the car and stared at the laces of her sneakers.  
  
"Do you want to go back inside?" he asked her.  
  
"No, not yet," she replied softly. She felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. After many months of silence, she'd finally found someone she could speak to. She didn't know why yet, but she trusted him.  
  
Author's Note- Hello! What did you think of this chapter? I think that maybe it was a little too rushed, and could have had more details ::shrugs shoulders:: Well, a lot of important things happened in this chapter. You've probably already guessed what happened between Kira and her step dad. I hope that it's okay with you guys. I have really really great plans for this story! Please keep reading and reviewing! 


	5. Dark Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Mars.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
Optical Illusions- Yay, thanks for the review! Here is my next update.  
  
Animefan rikku- Thanks, I'll have the sixth chapter up soon.... hopefully.  
  
Verauko- Awww, yay you're really sweet. You're welcome. Awesome, I'm glad you liked my last chapter and I hope you like this one also.  
  
man- You're very welcome. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
snowy1677- Yippee, my fic rocks! Yup, like I said I have large plans for this story (mwah ha ha, like taking over the world! j/k) Thnx for the review, and I look forward to many more!  
  
Garden Panda- I love the story concept also. I think that it's one of the best and most original one I've come up with so far. Yeah I do need to work on that stuff, but I promise I will get better!!! Thank you for reviewing.  
  
What do you think about my writing style? Any complaints? Do I have too much dialogue... characters not developed enough? Anything I should improve in? Do you guys prefer shortish chapters like these with somewhat regular updates (weeklyish), or longer chapters with longer update intervals? Or you don't care either way?  
  
In this chapter there's rape and implied yaoi. If either of these things make you squeamish then don't read.  
  
They sat next to each other on the hood of the car for what felt like hours, saying absolutely nothing. They didn't have to speak, the gentle wind that blew and the birds that chirped in the trees around them seemed to be speaking for them.  
  
Eventually the street lights turned on and the temperature began to drop.  
  
"Come on, let's get you inside. It's probably time for me to go any ways," Rei said reluctantly.  
  
She nodded in agreement and got to her feet. Kira silently wished that they could spend more time with each other. Then again, she doubted that he would want to. She had to remember that he was only doing this because he had to, and not because he really cared about her.  
  
He led her through the rows of shiny SUVs and four door cars that probably belonged to the ward workers, to the back door that he kept open by sticking a bottle in the door jam. Re opened the door, and then bent down to pick up the bottle and throw it to the side. He then opened the door wider and stepped aside so that Kira could go in first.  
  
She blushed slightly. She never had a guy hold a door open for her before. In her junior high school most people treated her as if she were a leper.  
  
They walked side by side until they reached the outside of her bedroom.  
  
Rei looked up the hallway nervously, and then back at Kira.  
  
She looked up at him slowly, her eyes wondering up his long legs, to his lean torso and finally their eyes locked. Her eyes were like those of a deer, large, brown, and innocent, for Rei it was almost hypnotizing.  
  
When he finally managed to tear his eyes from hers they traveled to the rest of her face as if he were trying to memorize each of her beautiful features. She seemed as fragile as a porcelain doll. Kira shuddered as she felt him taste her lips with his eyes.  
  
He placed one hand on the wall behind her and leaned down towards her. Seconds seemed to become minutes, and minutes became hours as his lips gently grazed hers.  
  
"Rei, hurry up! It's time to go," Akira called loudly from the front of the ward, interrupting their kiss.  
  
Rei pulled away immediately, and Kira blushed madly. She looked everywhere but at him, afraid that he would see her face.  
  
"I've got to go, I'll see you tomorrow," Rei said quickly before turning and leaving.  
  
She nodded breathlessly and opened her door as she watched Rei walk down the hall.  
  
Kira changed into an oversized t-shirt and flannel pajama pants before she laid down in her cot. She closed her eyes and pictured Rei's beautiful face, and smiled. He really did look like a sex god. Kira then relived the kiss they shared a moment ago. She remembered his peppermint breath against her cheeks, and how his long hair brushed her forehead. Her faint smile faded, and her face became contorted into horror. Rei's soft and warm lips turned into the hard and brutal lips of her step fathers. She felt his lips crash against hers until they were numb. When she was finally allowed air she felt the cold air against her chest, and she looked down to find herself naked. His hand cupped her small breasts as he pried her legs open with his knees.  
  
She opened her mouth to cry for help, but nothing came out. Instead she began to beat against his chests as violently as she could. Then as soon as the thought popped into her head a box cutter appeared in her hand. She reared back and plunged it into his bare chest, pushing it as far into his heart as it would go. She then smiled with delight as his dark, warm and thick blood poured over her arms.  
  
Her breath quickened as she awoke from her dream and sat up in her bed. Tears began to run don her cheeks. She thought that she stopped having dreams like that a long time ago. It was at times like these that Kira really began to question her sanity. She put a hand against her forehead, it felt cold and clammy. After getting a glass of water she allowed herself to go back to sleep.  
  
She stepped into the small cafeteria and looked for a place to sit. Since she arrived late her usual spot in the far corner by the window was taken. To her displeasure the only place left was one at the center table. Kira didn't like the girls who sat at that table, they were rude and obnoxious. She doubted that they liked her either. Unfortunately she had no choice other than to go over and sit with them.  
  
Kira walked over to the table shyly, hanging her head low so that her hair covered her face. She sat down quietly and hoped that nobody would pay any attention to her.  
  
"Well well, who do we have here? Good morning Kira, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" said Himiko, the ringleader of the group.  
  
"Huh? What was that? You really should speak up!" Himiko's sidekick added.  
  
"Ha ha, good one Yukari!" Himiko said with a high pitched laugh.  
  
Kira tried her best to ignore it, she'd grown accustomed to such abuse in junior high. Since her father began abusing her she stopped talking to all her friends, and stopped participating in class and all after school activities. People thought she did this because she felt that she was too good for other people. The girls in her class snubbed her, and spread awful rumors about her, and the boys teased her relentlessly.  
  
"She's such a pill," said another girl.  
  
"Such a waste though... for the administrators to pair her with a hottie like Rei! I mean if they were smart they'd put us together. Can you imagine the possibilities!?" Humiko said as she waggled her perfectly plucked eyebrows. Her harem of friends laughed cheaply along with her.  
  
Kira felt her jaws tighten as she carefully arranged the eggs and potatoes on her plate. Violent thoughts began to play in her mind once more, although she tried desperately to push them to the back of her mind.  
  
"She's been here for like ten minutes and hasn't touched her food yet... she's probably..." the girl across from her commented, but was silenced by Kira's cold glare.  
  
"Well, since you're here there's something I want you to understand. I get what I want. What I want is Rei Kashino, so stay away from him," Humiko said as she flipped long black hair over her shoulder. Her clan of friends followed her as she walked out of the cafeteria.  
  
Kira hung her head low, and pushed her tray away from her. She really thought that she'd be able to live in peace here at the ward. It pained her to know how wrong she was.  
  
"This food is such crap," Rei complained as he looked at the grayish material on his plastic plate.  
  
"Aww, what's the matter Rei-Rei? Missing the caviar you used to get up at you're uncle's mansion?" Akira joked as he finished up the last of his meal.  
  
Rei rolled his eyes. Since the guys at the center found out that he was the nephew of a rich business man they wouldn't let up on him. It's been a while since anyone brought it up. "Shut up man, you're such an ass," Rei said as he got up to throw out his food.  
  
"Hey, Hideaki. Be a good fag and throw this out for me please," Akira said as he pushed his tray in Hideaki's direction.  
  
"No," Hideaki said simply as he continued to eat his food.  
  
Akira gasped, this was the first time Hideaki ever stood up to him. A moment later he got over his awe. "Quit jerking off and throw out my shit before I get angry."  
  
"I told you no," Hideaki said as he got up to leave the cafeteria.  
  
Hideaki jumped up and grabbed Hideaki's wrist. "If you don't I'll..."  
  
"You'll what Hideaki? I'm not the one who's ashamed," Hideaki said menacingly as he jerked his wrist away from Akira and walked away.  
  
Akira's jaw dropped to his ankles as he watched Hideaki walk away from him. This was beyond unexpected for him. He then gathered his thoughts and went back to his seat, where he met the suspicious eyes of Rei.  
  
"It's not what you think, I swear!" Akira said, placing a hand over his heart.  
  
"I'm not saying anything," Rei said shrugging his shoulders and opening the can of soda he got from the snack room.  
  
Author's Notes: So, what did you think? This chapter was a bit longer than the last one. I'm really proud of myself. I put more energy than usual into this chapter so please please please review! ::Hands out cookies to those who have reviewed before:: Oh, and if you do review please answer the questions I asked earlier. 


	6. Secrets Revealed

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
man- I'm glad you like it. I'll spit out these chapters as fast as possible!  
  
nicole- Hello, thank you for reviewing. I try hard to make sure that everything is in order. Don't worry things will begin to heat up between Kira and Rei, eventually. Welp, here's my next update, I hope to have the next one up soon.  
  
animefan rikku- Yay! How nice, thank you for the compliment. You're welcome for the longer chapters, thank you for the review.  
  
optical illusions- Yeah, I noticed that there were a few typos when I was checking out my fic online. I'll work on double checking my stories from now on. Yay, thank you for the nice review!  
  
verauko- Hmm, so we like fluff do we. I'll make sure I insert more fluff. Thank you for the lovely review!  
  
myrrdinowl- Thank you for the review. The best! Thank you for the compliment ::does victory dance:: j/k. I'll try to make sure that the quality doesn't decline  
  
sydney bristo- Thanks for the review and the compliment.  
  
Kitsunia- Updating weekly is definitely a goal of mine. Yup, there is definitely something going on with Hideaki and Akira, you'll see later in this chapter. Whops, thank you for noticing, I went back and fixed it. I know I've been neglecting Akira and Hideaki (it's a bit difficult for me to form new characters). I'll work on that. Thanks for he helpful review.  
  
Dangerously Sweet- It'll get much better! There's just so much I have planned! I simply can't wait to get it all out there. Welp, here's the sixth chapter. The next one is half way done.  
  
~*Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed*~  
  
Rei walked into the ward. He smiled when he thought about how his attitude towards this place had changed since his first visit. Rei dreaded coming, and hated having to wake up early. Now he found himself feeling excited about seeing Kira. There was still so much he wanted to share with her. Kira was no longer just the mute he had to spend time with, she was.... something more than that. Just what? He wasn't too sure yet.  
  
"Good morning," said a cheery voice from behind him.  
  
He turned to face his greeter. "Uh... hi," he replied dully. Rei's mood changed a bit when his eyes traveled the rest of her body. She was clad in short denim shorts and a tight fitting t-shirt that showed off her curves. He hadn't seen a girl this hot in real life in quite a while.  
  
"My name is Humiko," she said cheerily as she extended her hand out to him.  
  
He looked down at her hand, and looked back up at her. Rational took over his hormones and Rei already figured out what kind of girl she was. These were hard to get rid of. "Uh, yeah I'm Rei. Nice to meet you," he said, simply to be polite. Under the normal circumstances he would have been half way into her pants by now. Strangely he found himself wanting nothing to do with her.  
  
"You're one of the boys from the juvenile detention hall right?" she asked him, although she already knew that he was.  
  
"Yes, I am. I have to go now. Perhaps I'll see you around," he said, giving her a quick grin before he began to move off.  
  
"Go? So soon? We've only meet. Perhaps we could talk for a while?" she said, sounding really desperate now.  
  
"I can't. I have someone to see," he explained as he tried to escape her once more.  
  
"Please? What harm could it do?" she asked in a flirtatious voice leaning in towards him.  
  
"I... uhh..." temporarily stunned by the image. He was a hot-blooded male after all. "Um, okay," he said slowly, allowing her to lead him to the cafeteria.  
  
"Hi Kira," Rei said as he entered her room. He was silently praying that she wouldn't be upset with him for being twenty minutes late. He'd been talking to Humiko and lost track of time.  
  
She looked up at him with the same emotionless eyes that she looked at him with the first day they met.  
  
"Please don't be like this Kira," he pleaded, he really didn't want her to be upset with him. He thought of excuse that would get him off the hook, but when he looked at her he just couldn't find the heart to lie to her.  
  
She looked at him for a few more minutes, and then looked away.  
  
He sighed deeply, and then sat next to her on the cot. To his surprise she didn't scoot away from him. "I've always been pretty girl crazy. In junior high school and my first year of high school girls used to flock to me because of my good looks. I'd go out with five girls at a time, sleep with a different girl each night," at this Kira looked up at him, she was half surprised. "According to my psychiatrist I was looking for love because my mother died when I was little. I never cared for them, and none of them cared for me. They treated me like a trophy... They'd go to their friends and tell them that they just spent the night with Rei Kashino and everyone would ooh and ahh. When I think about it, it's pretty pathetic. Had I been a female everyone would have called me a slut. So, when you think about what you're stepfather did to you and think of yourself as dirty just think about me. I'm the one who's really dirty..." he said, looking down at the floor in shame.  
  
She was utterly surprised. Kira didn't expect him to share something that personal with her. All of a sudden all the anger in her heart melted away and she found compassion for him.  
  
"I don't think you're dirty at all," Kira said softly.  
  
He looked up at her, her eyes were full of compassion. Rei was genuinely surprised, he didn't expect that kind of reaction from her.  
  
"Everyone wants to be loved..." she said sadly. "You just looked for it in all the wrong places," she said, placing her hand over his.  
  
Rei leaned in slowly to kiss her, placing a hand against her warm cheek. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed, and then followed suit. Kira's lips were more relaxed the second time around. He daringly deepened the kiss, and attempted to get her mouth open.  
  
"Oww, I think ish beeding!" Rei cried as he jumped away from her. "Why did you bite me!" he asked, referring to his tongue.  
  
"That was your tongue! Oh, I'm so sorry Rei. Does it hurt?" Kira asked, handing him tissue.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to I swear!" Kira said, she feared that he would never kiss her again.  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said, his tongue stopped bleeding, and didn't hurt so much. "That's the first kiss I've ever blundered," he said jokingly.  
  
Kira smiled sheepishly and looked at the floor. Rei wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned against him and wrapped an arm around his waist. In that moment they were both happy.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rei asked when Kira pulled away abruptly.  
  
"Nothing..." she said slowly, her eyes on the window in the door where Humiko was watching them.  
  
Rei turned around, to see what she was looking at. "Is she bothering you?" he asked. In his past he'd dealt with a lot of jealous ex- girlfriends and admirers.  
  
"No, not at all," Kira said as she looked away from Humiko.  
  
"Are you sure, because I can talk to her... or something," Rei said, although he'd never been too good to talking out his problems, and would probably resort to "or something."  
  
"I'm sure," Kira said, giving him a reassuring nod and a sweet smile.  
  
Rei heard some muffled noises a he approached his cell.  
  
"Who's there!" he asked as he entered the cell slowly. His roommate was supposed to be away visiting his family for a month. There wasn't supposed to be anybody in his cell at the moment.  
  
"Oh, God," Rei heard somebody say. He then turned on the light. Rei gasped when he saw Hideaki and Akira scramble away from each other.  
  
"Hello Rei, I'm sorry for borrowing your cell like this. We should have asked, but we thought that you'd be gone for a while," he said. "Akira was too ashamed to ask," Hideaki said looking directly at Akira. Hideaki then got up and buttoned his overalls.  
  
Akira snorted and stormed out of the room.  
  
Hideaki's face looked simply heartbroken as he watched Akira walk away.  
  
Rei looked from the bars, to Hideaki, at the bars, and once more to Hideaki. He may have expected something like this from Hideaki, but not from Akira, the outspoken homophobe.  
  
"So, you're..." Rei started, trying to rationalize what just happened.  
  
"I am, and so is Akira. He's just afraid to admit it.. to himself and everybody else," Hideaki said sadly. He sounded so hollow and wounded.  
  
"But... How can he be if he's always calling you a fag, and..." Rei said.  
  
"That's just a mask he wears. He figures that if he acts the way he does that nobody will think he's gay," Hideaki said, as he sat down on Rei's cot.  
  
Rei nodded, it all made sense to him now. He then went and sat next to Hideaki. "What are you in for?" he asked gently.  
  
Hideaki looked off to the farthest corner of the room. "When I was in junior high school I figured out that I was gay. A lot of girls were in love with me, because of my gentle demeanor and pretty features. One day I was walking outside of a gay bar," he frowned deeply as he relived the memory. "There was a group of four guys hiding behind a car. When there was nobody outside, so they jumped me. They beat me until I was almost dead. Do you know why Rei?" Hideaki asked, his voice laced with pain and anger.  
  
"Because you're gay?" Rei guessed.  
  
"Right. That made me angry, something I'd never been before then, nor since then. I spent four months in the hospital plotting a way to get revenge. Soon enough I got names, and addresses. I killed them all, one by one..." Hideaki said simply.  
  
"You killed them!?" Rei gasped. He was utterly shocked because Hideaki never showed any signs of having violent tendencies.  
  
"And I enjoyed it," he admitted. "I made sure that it was painful, very painful."  
  
"When will you be getting out?" Rei asked him, e highly doubted that he'd be out anytime soon.  
  
"Well, I've been sentenced twenty years... I've been here two years. So I've got eighteen years left," Hideaki said. "I'm sixteen now, so I'll be out by the time I'm thirty-four. It's not that bad. The crime was worth the time."  
  
Rei was surprised that Hideaki could be so calm about something like this. Although he was pretty wild back in his street days, he'd never killed anybody.  
  
"Well, I should get going. Goodnight Rei, it was nice talking to you," Hideaki said with a polite nod as he got up and left.  
  
Authors Note- Hello, thank you for reading. See, another longish chapter. Please review!!! 


	7. Jealous Admirerors

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
nicole- I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, I thought the biting part was pretty funny also. I was thinking that a little comic relief would be good.  
  
Optical Illusions- Yeah, Humiko is a big meanie. Don't worry, strong language doesn't offend me (as long as it's not directed towards me). Here's my next chapter, the next should be well on it's way.  
  
MoonMaiden625- Aww, but I dropped hints, like remember in the other chapter when Akira tried to get Hideaki to throw out his food and Hideaki said that he wasn't the one who was ashamed. Well, maybe it wasn't that obvious ::shrugs shoulders:: Aww, we all hate defective computers. My luck isn't that great either, my aol has forsaken me and I get kicked off quite often. Come on, it wouldn't be any fun if Kira didn't get targeted by one of Rei's admirers. Thank you, happy new years to you and all my other readers.  
  
Kitsunia- Yes, all true. Thanks for the compliment, I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
Verauko- Yup, I like shocking people. That is one hot couple though, there's more where that came from though! I plan on having quite a bit of A/H stuff in this story. Plenty of fluff ahead! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
The Story So Far:  
  
  
Chap1- Kira's in a psychiatric ward because everybody thinks that she is a mute. Rei is in a juvenile detention facility. Rei and his two friends Hideaki and Akira are forced to do community services at the ward that Kira's in. Rei is assigned to Kira, he tries to speak to her during their first meeting but Kira ignores him.  
  
Chap2- Rei is upset when he finds out that Kira is a mute. Akira makes fun of suicidal people and Rei gets upset. They get into a fight. That night Rei thinks about his past of drugs, sex and violence. During Rei and Kira's second meeting they find a way to communicate to each other.  
  
Chap 3- On television night Hideaki and Akira get into an argument over what they're going to watch on television. Hideaki leaves, followed by Rei. He goes through a bag full of sentimental objects and thinks about the events that led to where he is now.  
  
Chap 4- Rei finds out that Kira is cutting herself and tries to convince her to find another way to release her anger. While they talk outside she finally speaks. Kira explains that she faked being a mute because she is hiding from her stepfather who sexually abused her. He comforts her and promises to keep her secret.  
  
Chap 5- Rei and Kira kiss before she enters their room and they part. Kira's dream about the kiss she shared with Rei turns into a nightmare about when her stepfather used to rape her. When she goes to the cafeteria the next day she is threatened by Humiko, a girl who also has feelings for Rei. Akira and Hideaki have another argument in the cafeteria, it seems that there is something going on between them.  
  
Chap 6- When Rei goes to see Kira Humiko speaks to him. They speak for a while, causing Rei to be late for his meeting with Kira. Kira is upset with him at first, but forgives him when he shares information about his past with women. They kiss and Kira accidentally bites his tongue by accident. Rei catches Hideaki and Akira making out in his cell that night and Hideaki tells Rei why he's in juvie.  
  
I just thought that this might be helpful to new readers, or anyone that was a bit confused by the story line.  
  
Chapter 7- Jealous Admirers  
  
Kira's eyes shot open when she heard the door swing open. Although she'd been in the facility for two years she still feared that her step father would come in and kidnap her as he once promised her he would. Kira laid still, her eyes wide open like a rabbit's who's hole had just been invaded.  
  
Hello Kira, Humiko said, her voice dark and dangerous, but barely above a whisper. Kira's face faltered, she remembered what Humiko told her earlier, but what surprised that she'd follow through like this.   
  
Kira frowned deeply when she saw the reflection of the full moon on the knife Humiko held in her hand. A surprised gasp escaped Kira's lips, she prayed that Humiko was only going to threaten her. Kira knew she couldn't defend herself. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt the sharp blade of the picket knife against the side of her neck.  
  
I saw you with Rei today in your room... in this room. You two look quite smitten, an unusual couple, Humiko said although she already knew that Kira saw her looking.  
  
__ Kira thought. She didn't know that people thought that they were a couple. Kira began to wonder if Rei saw them that way, but the thought quickly disappeared as the knife began to break the skin of her neck.  
  
Kira's eyes began to swell with tears, it hurt to swallow and Humiko showed no signs of loosening up.  
  
Stay away from him. Let this be a warning, she said as she pushed the blade into her skin, just enough for it to bleed and leave a scar. Goodnight Kira, Humiko said as she wiped the blood from the knife on Kira's bed sheet and left.  
  
Kira shuddered as she listened to the door slam shut. She turned towards the wall and curled up underneath the sheets. Was this what her life would be like if she pursued a romantic relationship with Rei. Even if Humiko backed off Kira was certain that she wouldn't be the last. After all Rei did have a face that could launch a thousand ships.  
  
***  
  
The door swung open, and Kira sat up, thinking that Humiko had come to taunt her again. It was Rei, although it shouldn't have surprised her because this was the time he always came.  
  
he greeted her as he walked over to her. She figured that the weather was changing because Rei was wearing a black leather biker jacket.  
  
Good morning, Kira replied as she rubbed her eyes. She didn't get a wink of sleep last night.  
  
The blood stains on her sheets caught his eye. What happened? he asked, his imagination beginning to run wild. Scenes of her cutting a vein, and somebody attacking her in her sleep played in his mind.  
  
Oh, it's nothing, she replied. Kira knew that things between herself and Humiko would only worsen if she told Rei.  
  
Rei sat down on her cot and reached out to touch the scar. To his surprise she flinched. You know I wont hurt you, he told her, a little hurt that he didn't have her complete trust by now. His long slender fingers traced the red almost three inch scar on her neck that stood out greatly against her fair skin. Who did this to you? he asked her, his voice gentle and calm   
  
She said nothing because she knew that she couldn't bring herself to lie to him.  
  
It was Humiko wasn't it? he asked her gently as he leaned in and kissed her scar. Kira's face flushed greatly, his lips were warm and soft. The sensation she felt was somewhere between slight pain and intense pleasure.  
  
I knew it, he said as he pulled away from her. He frowned, it pained him to know that he caused Kira pain.  
  
Please don't say anything about it to her. It would only make things worse, she said. It's not that bad, I can deal with it. Kira knew that he'd be compelled to confront Humiko. It's not your fault.  
  
He looked down at her, his eyes piercing straight through her. Did she ever bother you before I started seeing you? he asked.  
  
Kira thought for a few minutes. she answered, remembering that Humiko never even looked at her before she met him.  
  
Then it is my fault, and I'll fix it, he replied simply.  
  
Kira said nothing, she knew by the tone of his voice that there was no way to convince him otherwise. She likes you a lot, Kira told him.  
  
I can't name many women that don't like me, he replied cockily. She's pretty too, Rei added causing Kira's heart to drop. She knew that when it came to looks Humiko had it all. Humiko's got a great body also... Rei continued. Kira's heart could sink no lower. But she's exactly like the other girls I used to date, and look at where that got me. Besides, there's already another girl I'm interested in, he told her, giving her that famous boyish grin of his.  
  
Another girl? Kira asked. Her heart rose a little, if Rei had to like someone, anybody other than Humiko would be okay with her.  
  
Yeah, she's pretty cute. Her eyes are beautiful. I could stare into them forever. She's sweet and compassionate. There's just so much that I love about her. It's near impossible to list them all... Rei said, becoming lost in his thoughts.   
  
Who is she? Kira asked, scolding herself the second after the question passed her lips. She felt that it wasn't her place to ask him such personal questions.  
  
You really are daft. I've been dropping more clues than the US dropped on Japan during World War two. It's you Kira, it's you, Rei said, giving her a quick but sweet kiss on the cheek. .  
Kira's hand flew up to cover her mouth as diamond-like tears began to run down her already red cheeks.  
  
What's wrong? I thought you felt the same way, Rei asked her worriedly.  
  
I do, it's just that I didn't think that you liked girls like me, Kira said as she tried to wipe away her tears. It embarrassed her that she always seemed to be crying in front of Rei. He probably thought that she was weak.  
  
Any guy with sense would go for a great person like you, he said as he wiped away the last of her tears and and pulled her into a hug. As she allowed herself to be held tightly by Rei her thoughts strayed to her past. Before she met Rei she wouldn't have allowed any member of the opposite sex touch her, especially like this. She remembered running out of the male doctors office during a physical examination, crying when her gym teacher tried to force her to dance with boys during sports week, hiding in the girls bathroom during recess.... Kira then noticed the strong beating of Rei's heartbeat and forgot about all her bad memories.  
  
Rei stiffened as he remembered Humiko, and what might happen to Kira when he left if Humiko saw them like this. He pulled away from her and looked at her scar.   
  
I have to go, he told Kira, he really liked her and wasn't going to let some psycho get in the way of what they had going together.  
  
What do you mean? We have another twenty minutes, Kira said, reluctant that their embrace ended.  
  
I know, but I have something I need to take care of, Rei replied as he got up and straightened out his clothes.  
  
Kira nodded solemnly. She knew what and who he was referring to. Kira worried about what he would do to her.   
  
Later babe, he said, giving her a nod before leaving and closing the door behind her. He looked up and down the hall, he realized that he didn't know where Humiko would be. After a moment of thinking he decided to check where they spoke first, the cafeteria. As he walked down the hall he placed his hand in his pocket, fingering his weapon of choice.  
  
Rei smiled when he entered the cafeteria. It was just like his days at school, everything fell silent when he entered the room, almost like time had held still.  
  
His eyes skimmed the room intensely until his eyes rested on Humiko, she sat in the center of the cafeteria with her many friends. This didn't surprise him.  
  
Hey there, he whispered seductively from behind her.  
  
she replied as she turned to face him. The girls at her table began to whisper among themselves.  
  
I was wondering if we could talk... someplace quiet, he said as he offered her his hand, knowing she'd accept. He hid his disgust as she took his hand and allowed him to lead her out of the cafeteria. Rei could almost read the minds of her friends. Humiko probably had a lot of fun telling her friends about their encounter and was probably convinced that he had fallen for her.   
  
Would you like to go to my room? she asked sounding beyond desperate. He couldn't blame her, she probably hadn't seen a guy in a long time, let alone one as beautiful as he.  
  
I'd love to, he replied placing a hand around her small waist. He could feel her blushing as she pulled her close. His ability to affect women still amazed him.  
  
She smiled and took her to her bedroom, which was down the hall from Kira's. She opened the door and allowed Rei to go first. He was surprised by how different it was from Kira's. The white padded walls were covered with posters of many male American stars, like Orlando Bloom, Josh Hartnett, Johnny Depp, etc. She had clothes strewn everywhere, many shoes, and her bedside table was pilled with makeup nail polish, and teen magazines.  
  
Would you like to sit down? she asked him, she sounded very eager to please.  
  
he replied as he sat down next to her.  
  
Aren't you supposed to be with Kira now? Humiko asked, hoping he would say that he was, but he really wanted to spend time with her.  
  
he said as he leaned in close to kiss her. She accepted and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
Moments later they were on top of each other and were making out.   
  
She gasped when she felt the blade of a knife against her neck, the same place where Kira's scar was.  
  
Rei? What are you doing? she asked frustratedly, she was still in a trance from Rei's kisses.  
  
I'm giving you what you deserve. Who the hell do you think you are, threatening Kira like that. I've dealt with a lot of girls like you, you're exactly like every other slut I've dated, he explained, tightening his grip on her when she began to struggle against him. I have no interest in you Humiko, I never will. Kira on the other hand, I like her a lot. I don't want you getting in my way. If I find out that you've done something to her again, I swear I will kill you.  
  
Ha, you've got to be joking if you believe that I'll fall for a threat like that, she said, glaring at him intensely.  
  
I'm in juvie for a reason sweetheart, he said menacingly as he dug the knife a little deeper, just enough to draw blood. Remember what I told you Humiko. Leave Kira alone or I will come back for you, Rei told her as he left, wiping the blood on the knife on a tissue he had and stuffed it back into his pocket.  
  
Rei smiled deviously, he knew that he had achieved the desired effect and that Humiko wouldn't bother Kira again.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Kira woke up bright and early the next morning. All night she'd been contemplating her relationship with Rei. He told her that he liked her, and she told him that she liked him. Did this mean that they were dating and were a couple? Or did it simply mean that they liked each other. This entire thing was new to her and she didn't know how to handle it, nor did she know how a proper girlfriend was supposed to behave. These questions led to more questions and she ended up getting a headache so she left the thoughts alone.  
  
To her pleasure she got a seat at her favorite table. Everything seemed brighter to her today, the sun seemed to be shining more than it ever did, the food at the ward tasted better and the people around her didn't seem so bad. Perhaps this was what it felt like to be in love.  
  
Her heart sunk when her eyes fell upon Humiko as herself and her friends entered the cafeteria. They always seemed to be trying their hardest to capture peoples attention. Kira spotted a slash mark on Humiko's neck, which seemed much like the one she sported. She knew immediately who gave it to her.   
  
Kira looked away quickly when Humiko looked at her. Humiko's jet black eyes looked like pools of loathing and hate. She prayed that Rei's rash actions wouldn't cause her more problems. Kira looked down at her food and began to eat her eggs that had grown cold while she was thinking.  
  
  
***  
  
  
It's a nice day today isn't it? Rei said idly, trying to break the silence between Hideaki and Akira. They hadn't spoken to each other since Rei caught them making out. Um, how are your girls doing? he asked.  
  
He sighed frustratedly when he got no response. They'd been sneaking glances at each other all day. It was obvious that they were still into one another and Rei just wished that they could get over their differences so that things would go back to normal. Rei hated the stifling silence.  
  
You guys suck, I'm leaving to sit at a table with people that are actually alive! Rei declared as he picked up his tray and left.  
  
Hideaki looked up and watched Rei leave and join another table. Rei was just like that, he could fit in with any group. Everyone accepted and respected him.  
  
I've been thinking about you, Hideaki said softly as soon as Rei was out of earshot. He put his fork down and pushed his tray aside, he barely touched his meal.  
  
Akira stiffened but did not reply.  
  
Why is this so hard for you? Hideaki asked. Don't you know how much you're hurting me?  
  
Akira's demeanor softened greatly.  
  
I love you Akira, I always have. I know you feel the same way! Why are you so ashamed to show it? his voice very pained.  
  
You don't understand Hideaki. It's not that simple, Akira replied dryly.  
  
It is, Hideaki said, placing his warm hand over Akira's cool hand on the table.  
  
He flinched when Akira jerked his hand away and looked around him to make sure that nobody saw.  
  
Hideaki looked at him with questioning eyes and then pulled his hand away. You're such a coward, he replied coldly as he got up and left.  
  
Akira watched as Hideaki left. He breathed out loudly and ran a hand through his spiky hair. He wanted to be out in the open with Hideaki, and hated that he had to pretend like this because he knew how much it hurt Hideaki. Akira had no choice other than to break Hideaki's heart, over and over again.   
  
Author's Note- Hello reader. Thank you for getting this far. Yay, Kira and Rei have finally declared their love for one another! How lovely! Humiko has paid for what she's done to Kira and it seems that there is nothing standing in the way of Rei and Kira's relationship. Aww, but poor Hideaki and Akira! This is my first fic with yaoi. Hmm... do the readers like, don't like or are they indifferent? Let me know! I hope that you're all having as much fun reading this fic as I am having writing this story. Please you know what to do click that blueish purple button and write a review. They give me a lot of inspiration, and inspiration= more chapters!


	8. Heart Ache

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
verauko- Yay, I thought that you would like it. Thanks for the great review!  
  
optical illusions- I'm glad you liked it.  
  
kitsunia- Thank you for the great advice, ::frowns a bit:: it doesn't seem that my readers like HxA stuff ::shrugs shoulders:: Your writers intuition is correct! If I just let Kira and Rei stroll of into the sun it would be too easy! I have to torture the couple first, it makes them stronger!  
  
animerfan rikku- ::Gets into yoga pose and ummms:: I will become one with the long chapters! I will become enlightened! I will most definitely continue updating my story (it may be hard sometimes because my computer and I are arguing right now). Thanks for the reviews!!!  
  
moonmaiden625- Yup, Rei is a knight in shining armor, isn't he? Thank you for the wonderful review!  
  
man- Thanks for the review! I'll look forward to many more.  
  
maggie- Thanks for reviewing!  
  
dangerously sweet- Don't worry there's a lot of Rei and Kira stuff in here. I'm glad you like it, but my Rei and Kira are quite the popular couple. Everyone loves them, and that's pretty cool.  
  
Chapter 8-  
  
"Hey there," Rei said cheerfully as he entered her room as he did everyday. It had become a routine that he looked forward to. It was a bit strange how he went from hating having to go to the ward, to enjoying it.  
  
"Good morning Rei," Kira replied, her voice was very dry. She seemed so out of it, and spaced out.  
  
He frowned slightly, she didn't even grace him with a small smile as she usually did. She was standing in the middle of her room staring at the door, as if she was preparing to go somewhere it was quite a site to see. "What's up?" he asked as he flopped onto her bed.  
  
She sighed deeply and looked down at the floor as if the weights of the world were on her shoulders.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rei asked, reaching out to taking her arm and pull her closer to him.  
  
"It's nothing really, it's just that I'm going to see him today," Kira replied softly as she allowed him to pull her onto his lap. She was like putty in his hands.  
  
"Him? You mean your step father. They actually let him see you?!" he asked gently as he wrapped his arms around her. He loved the way her body fit against his, no matter what kind of position they were in. It were almost as though their bodies were meant for one another. The feeling he got was like no other, her body heat radiating off of her body, the electric shock that traveled down his spine whenever their skin grazed one another.  
  
"They don't know about what happened remember? It's only you, me, him and my mother," Kira explained, placing her head on his strong shoulder and wrapping his arm around him. She was limp in his arms. "He visits every month or so. It's in the guest room where there are always nurses around, so I'll be safe." She thought that if they stayed close like this for long enough some of his strength would seep into her.  
  
"I know, but still. I wish that I could do something. He doesn't deserve to live," Rei said, feeling himself grow stiff with anger thinking that if he ever saw Kira's father he'd surely kill him, it wouldn't matter if he was locked away forever.  
  
"Don't even think about it. You're in enough trouble as it is Mr. Kashino," Kira joked sadly. She smiled when she thought about what a strange couple they were, she was in a ward and he was in a juvenile hall. Kira then looked at how beautiful he was in both appearance and personality and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. He smiled when he felt her lips curl upwards against his cheek.  
  
"Hmm... Is that so Kira?" he replied, his voice deep, smooth and very seductive. She shivered as he began to make a trail of butterfly kisses on her neck and shoulders. He then stopped and frowned, remembering her stepfather again. "When is he coming?" he asked as he buried his head in the soft crook of her neck.  
  
"In a few minutes," she replied sadly, he felt the tiny hairs on her neck stand up.  
  
He pulled away so he could look into her eyes. "I know that you're strong Kira. Be strong for me at least, for us," he told her seriously before kissing her and gently nudging her to get up.  
  
Kira got up and straightened out her clothes when she heard the nurse knock on the door.  
  
"Good bye Rei," she replied, giving him a toothy smile to reassure him that she would be okay. She then took a deep breath, looked away and walked down the hall to meet her stepfather.  
  
Rei watched her sadly as she walked away from him. He watched until he couldn't see her anymore, and then flopped back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Rei fought hard to suppress the anger welling up within him. In the back of his mind something was telling him t follow Kira to her father and attack her stepfather. What good would that do though? The nurses and guards would pull him off of the man, he'd be put away for much longer and would never be able to see Kira again. So he decided to go and see what his friends were up to.  
  
"Hello Kira," her step father greeted her very businesslike as she stepped into the room. It appeared that he'd just come in from work because he was wearing a suit and tie and had his suitcase with him.  
  
Kira kept her mute act up very well. She knew that she couldn't show her stepfather any weakness, so she kept a stone face and her mouth shut as she sat on the black leather love seat across from him.  
  
Kira didn't reply. She wanted to prove to her stepfather just how strong she was. She didn't want him to think that he had broken her... She thought that he had for a while, thought that she'd never be anything and just wanted to die. This was all before she met Rei. He taught her that there were good people in the world, and gave her the motivation to go on.  
  
"How have you been? You look well," he replied as he crossed his legs and stroked the sparse salt and pepper hair on his chin. She wondered when he was going to drop the act of being polite and behave the way he usually did, crude and intimidating.  
  
"I've spoken to your doctors and nurses, they say that you haven't made any progress," he said casually. "Why is this? Do you know how much it costs to keep you in here? They still haven't properly diagnosed your problem!" he was growing more frustrated by the moment.  
  
Kira kept herself from looking into his eyes, she did this because she knew that if she did she would crack. She vowed to stay strong for herself and for Rei.  
  
"Why wont you look at me dearest Kira?" he asked. He continued when she finally made eye contact. "Your mother misses you."  
  
Kira fought to stifle a snort as she felt herself become cold. If her mother really missed her she wouldn't have let this happen. She would have believed her when she told her what was going on when she wasn't around. Her mother wouldn't have called her a dirty slut and a liar.  
  
"I miss you too," he added, his tone of voice was different this time. "Why don't you come and sit next to me?" he asked, motioning her to come near.  
  
Kira's heart was struck with fear, she decided to play deaf. She just noticed that there was nobody around, who knew what he had in mind.  
  
"I know you can hear me. Now don't make me angry, come over here and sit next to papa," he replied aggressively, patting the seat next to him.  
  
Kira got up reluctantly and went over to sit next to him, trying her hardest to stay as far away from him as possible  
  
"That's a good girl," he said encouragingly as he took off his blazer and placed an arm around her.  
  
"It seems that you have things pretty nice over here. You're quite clever," he began, leaning in closely. His breath nauseated her, it was a mix of cigarettes, alcohol, and stale coffee. "You had to go and get everyone involved... school counselors, lawyers... You only have one more year to go... actually it's less than a year. More like five months," he added with a menacing smile. "After that I'm taking you home," he replied, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
Kira grimaced in disgust. She wanted to slap him and run to the opposite end of the room and scream at him. She wanted scream obscenities and tell him how she hated him, wanted to fulfill her violent dreams. Instead she sat there and prayed that he'd get bored, or that a nurse would come in and he'd have to stop. Or even better that a nurse or some other worker would catch him and get him put in jail. None of her wishes came true, instead he began to kiss her neck and inched her skirt up, running his hands up and down her thighs, his calloused hands bruising her soft skin. He then pushed her down onto the couch and slowly pulled down her panties.  
  
She closed her eyes and prepared for his entry. Kira let out a sigh of relief when he stopped to answer his phone. She took this opportunity to put herself together in case someone walked in.  
  
"Hello? Yeah... Right now?" he asked, looking down at Kira. "I'll be there in a few moments," he clicked off his phone and put on his blazer. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have to go see a client. I'll see you next month," he said before giving her a smile before leaving.  
  
Kira relaxed as soon as she heard the door swing shut. She curled up and hugged her knees to her chests as she began to cry. Had that person not called it would have happened again, and she couldn't have done a thing about it. Then she began to wonder, was it that she wouldn't or couldn't do anything about it. Perhaps she was just a coward, hiding out here like this and not standing up for herself. She felt so weak, and useless. Perhaps that was the way other people saw her too, the way Rei saw her.  
  
"That you Kira? Is he still here?" Rei asked softly as he sat down next to her.  
  
Kira looked up at him in surprise, she didn't think that she'd seem him again for the day. She reached for his hand and squeezed twice.  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot where he were," Rei said thoughtfully, he was expecting her to speak to him. "How was it... okay, or terrible?"  
  
She shrugged her shoulders and avoiding his intense stare.  
  
"Did he do anything to you?" he asked, feeling his blood starting to boil. He still hadn't gotten over her father being able to see her, and him not being able to do anything about it. Rei hated feeling so helpless.  
  
She gave him one strong squeeze and a half squeeze.  
  
"Um, is that supposed to mean he tried?" her asked her, a little confused.  
  
She squeezed his hand twice weakly, withdrawing her hand and rested her head on her knees once more. She didn't want to feel anything anymore, nothing at all.  
  
"This isn't right," Rei said as he looked at her. She seemed different now, not cheerful or happy, just sad and gloomy. It really tore him up inside. "I just wished that I could do something about it."  
  
Rei breathed in and out a couple of times, he felt his heart hardening as he pictured some old man placing his filthy hands all over Kira... his Kira. He reached out to stroke her hair, but pulled his hand away when a lone tear ran down her already wet cheek and she turned away from him. Kira just didn't want to be touched right now.  
  
He propped his head up with his hand and placed his arm on the arm rest. There was nothing he could do to help her, other than stand by her side. He was beginning to wonder if that was really any good either.  
  
They sat there for the rest of the time. Rei sat there, thinking of ways to approach Kira, while she sat there looking like a turned off computer screen.  
  
"Hey, Rei wake up. I want to talk to you!" called a voice from outside his cells late that night.  
  
Rei groaned, grunted and yawned loudly. He hated nothing more, besides Kira's step dad, than being woken up when he was getting a good sleep. He sensed the urgency in the callers voice and fought the urge to simply pull the covers over his head and go back to sleep.  
  
"What do you want?" Rei asked angrily as he walked towards his waker, clad in only a pair of green and blue plaid boxers.  
  
"I want to talk to you," Akira replied.  
  
"Are you serious! Why now? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Rei exclaimed. "Ugh! How could you wake me up for such stupid shit! Talk my ass you just wanted to see me in my boxers!  
  
"Don't be so full of yourself. You're not my type any ways," Akira replied coldly.  
  
"Not your type!? I'm everybody's' time!" Rei insisted. Then he thought about what he said and quickly withdrew his statement. It's not like he wanted Akira to think that he wanted him to be in love with him. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Rei asked as he leaned against the bars. Had it been anybody other than Akira Rei would have ignored them and told the person to save it for later, or told them off. However Akira was the only person to make him feel welcome when he arrived at the facility, and so Rei was indebted to him.  
  
"I couldn't sleep tonight. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him," Akira began to explain. "The look on his face was twisted with hurt, pain and anger. It was horrible."  
  
"What was he angry about?" Rei asked, he understood why this made Akira so distressed. It was horrible when someone you cared about was in pain, especially if you were the source of their pain.  
  
"He wants me to be more open about our relationship... If you can call it that," Akira said. "He thinks that I act all cold and everything in public because I'm ashamed of him, and that's not true. It's more me than anything else," Rei was still listening closely. "When I was seven my mother left and left me with my five older brothers and my father. My dad got real depressed and began drinking very heavily. It went from him being drunk every weekend to him being drunk all the time. He'd beat on me because I was the youngest, and every now and then my older brothers would join in. When I entered junior high I got interested in art and stuff like that. My father found out and gave me the nickname 'his little fag.' He'd call me that in public, causing everyone to laugh. He told me that showing homosexual tendencies was a sign of weakness... I suppose that he said it so many times I began to believe it."  
  
Rei now understood what he was getting at. Juvie wasn't like some prep school. If you proved yourself to be weak everyone would take advantage of you, you'd get picked on, beat up when nobody was looking, sodomized in the showers. You had to act tough to make it through.  
  
"Do you love him?" Rei asked after a moment of thinking.  
  
"Yeah," Akira replied.  
  
"Then tell him, show him," Rei said simply.  
  
Akira thought about it for a while and then gave Rei a small smile, one he rarely showed. "Thanks."  
  
"Yeah yeah, whatever," Rei said, brushing it off. He didn't want everyone thinking he was all mushy and love advice.  
  
Akira smirked and left. Rei would always be Rei, but whenever he spotted him with Kira he proved that he was just a little more than just that. Rei proved it again now.  
  
Rei stretched out and got back under his covered. He silently cursed Akira when he couldn't get back to sleep. He laid there staring up at the darkened ceiling, not much light came through the small window at the top of the wall. He remembered today at the ward and Kira curled up at the farthest end of the love seat crying. It simply wasn't fair that her stepfather was allowed to get away with such evils. Rei could think of a thousand ways to make him pay, and a hundred more to make sure he never hurt another female again.  
  
Author's Notes- I haven't been in the writing mood for a while. Chapter seven took so long to put up! Everytime I tried to upload it ff.net told me that the document was empty. When I finally got it up all my indentations were gone. Well, no indentations are better than no chapter right? So what did you think of the story? How was the Kira and Step dad scene? A little sucky I think, I'll do better on the next scene (be it RxK, KxSD, or RxSD (just kidding Rei will not have get intimate with Kira's step dad). Are you guys sick of the Akira and Hideaki stuff? I'm sorry, so just please bare with me (I put all that RxK fluff (I consider it fluff although it was a little sad)to make up for it)Well, the next chapter is well under way. I've also started the next chapter for my other MARS fanfic. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. 


	9. Love is Pain

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
animefan rikku- Hello, I know, nobody likes when Kira's step dad rapes her, or almost does, but it's all a part of the story. Yup, I've noticed also. I'm so happy by the way this story is going. Thank you for the great review!  
  
nicole- Hello, I'm glad that you've come back for the this chapter. Yes yes, Kira's step dad will pay in the end, but there's a lot more to go before that happens. There will be some nice fluff between Rei and Kira, but their relationship was meant to be tortured, and so that is what i'll do. I'm glad you like the yaoi. I hope to see you in the next chapter.  
  
kitsunia- Omg, I can't believe I posted that. Aww, I'm so sorry. I meant "type" not "time." I have to work on double checking my work. Again, I apologize! Thank you for reviewing.  
  
optical illusions- I'm glad you like everything!  
  
snowy16770- I'm glad that you're cool with the yaoi stuff. Yay, I feel so special. Thank you!  
  
verauko- Don't worry there will be a RxK lemon somewhere in this story... a bit later though. Don't worry I will never put up a chapter with AxH stuff alone, and I did put that much in the last chapter. You'll get plenty of the fluff you crave. I'm glad that you're feeling the mood of the story, all the angst and everything. Thanks for the great review!  
  
Moon Maiden- Kira is 16 now and will be 17 when the five months are up. I don't think I've mentioned how long Rei's been in juvie. I wont say when he'll be out later.  
  
infamous red- Yay, thanks for reading my story. I'm glad you like the yaoi and the plot. I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter.  
  
Rayo- Flattery will get you nowhere, except a new chapter on the same day you reviewed! Thanks for the review.  
  
Chapter 9-  
  
"How are we doing back there?" Mr. Asaba asked (a/n remember him? He's the counselor from the beginning of the story) from behind the wheel, eyeing Rei from his rearview mirror.  
  
"Just peachy," Rei replied cooly, he still hadn't learned to trust Mr. Asaba. Sometime during his childhood he grew to resent adult authority.  
  
"How are you doing with... what's her name again? Kira is it?" Mr. Asaba questioned.  
  
Rei's cheeks turned red at the mention of her name. He tried to hide it by covering his mouth and faking hard coughs.  
  
"Are you okay? Maybe you're coming down with a cold? Sounds like you're coughing up a lung back there," Mr. Asaba asked.  
  
Rei shook his head. "I'm fine, everything is fine." He wished that Mr.Asba would stop asking so many questions. Rei felt like he was being interrogated, which brought him back to memories at the police department.  
  
"Sure, but you didn't answer my question," Mr. Asaba said as he made a sharp right turn, causing everyone in the car to lean to the left.  
  
"Don't touch me," Hideaki said coldly when Akira bumped into him, his body automatically going rigid.  
  
"Get over it already, it's not like I did it on purpose," the words flew from his mouth, Akira didn't even remember that he was trying to win Hideaki back.  
  
Hideaki's icy light blue eyes tore right through Akira. He knew exactly what Hideaki was thinking, he was probably saying what an ass he was and that he should have known that Akira would never change. Akira could have kicked his own ass.  
  
"  
  
Rei took a deep breath before entering her room. "Hey," Rei greeted her, hoping that she'd be in a better mood today. It depressed him when she was sad.  
  
"I'm sorry, for the way I was yesterday. I really should have been stronger," Kira said softly. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring down at the floor.  
  
"Sorry? You didn't do anything. You don't need to apologize," he replied as he went and sat next to her. He wanted more than anything to be able to comfort her.  
  
She gave him a smile, which signaled 'I love you' in large bright neon letters. "Before it happened my father's phone rang, someone was telling him he had to go someplace. Had i not been for that phone call he would have..." she paused for a moment and then started again. "Before the phone rang I just laid there underneath him. I didn't do anything. I didn't yell, I didn't push him away. I'm just so defective," she said simply, her mood declining greatly. It was as though she was in a downward spiral.  
  
"Don't speak that way, please," Rei said, reaching out for her hand. "I don't see you that way at all. You're not helpless, and you're not defective. Getting out of that house was your first step to getting away from him."  
  
"Feels more like I'm just being a coward, like I'm just running away from it," Kira replied, tears once more running down her cheeks. It was nearly routine. "I wish I could be more like you... strong and bold. Instead of weak and dull." She looked up at him through teary eyes with admiration.  
  
"I'm nobody to admire. The only way I solve my problems is by using violence, which doesn't really solve anything. "I love you, I don't want you to change," Rei told her honestly, taking both hands in his and looking at her intensely.  
  
Her heart soared, she never thought she'd hear those words pass his lips. "I love you too," she replied, her tears of sorrow replaced by those of joy. "I'm all waterworks," she said half jokingly as she wiped away her tears.  
  
He gave her a small smile and kissed her gently. Her lips were plump, soft and warm against his. What he wouldn't give to be able to spend all his time with her.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot I have something to show you!" he exclaimed excitedly, hoping to cheer her up even more. Rei'd been planning to share this with her for a long time.  
  
Her eyes lit up like a small child's in a candy store. It was amazing how she sometimes showed these adorable childish qualities despite all she'd been through in the past.  
  
He pulled his book bag onto his lap and pulled out a magazine. He made drum roll noises as he turned the cover towards her. "Here it is, the greatest magazine in the world!" he exclaimed as he thrusted it to her.  
  
She took it from him slowly and looked hard at the cover. "Biker's Monthly?" Kira questioned as she read the title.  
  
He nodded excitedly. "Yup, I'm going to be on the cover one day," Rei said confidently. She detected something shy in his voice.  
  
"I know you will," she replied with a convincing nod.  
  
He smiled at her. "You know, you're the first person to ever say that to me. The kids at school would laugh and tell me to keep dreaming. My teachers would advise me to stick to my school work and focus on trying to graduate. My dad..." he paused and frowned deeply. "He'd only laugh. You see after Sei died I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle over in California. There my uncle introduced me to the beautiful world of biking. When I came back and asked my dad to take me to a track, or to buy me my own motorcycle he was furious. He told me it was a waste of time. He never even wanted to see just how good I was." Rei's voice was edgy, Kira could tell just how angry it made him.  
  
"I'd like to be there..." Kira began slowly, the sweetest smile played on her face.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Rei asked.  
  
"I'd like to be there when you pass that red line on the track and the announcer calls Kashino comes in first place, the youngest in today's race with a record of," Kira continued. "I want to run to you as you drive into the racers pit and take off your helmet, sweat drenched hair plastered to your forehead, and a triumphant smile on your face." she told him, her warm hand against his cheek.  
  
The anger towards his father melted, and in it's place was his love for Kira. Nobody ever took him as seriously as she did. He sighed deeply "I love you," he said again.  
  
"I love you too," she said as she placed the magazine aside and laid into Rei's chest and allowed him to wrap his arms around her small frame.  
  
"What a strange couple huh? A juvenile hall inmate and a psychiatric ward patient," Rei commented with a chuckle. "Who would have thought?"  
  
"I'm glad," she told him softly as she listened to the strong and steady beat of Rei's heart. "I'm so glad I met you Rei. I used to wake up everyday praying it would be my last in the ward and on this earth," this one pierced straight through Rei's heart. "Now, I wake up excited about seeing you again..."  
  
Rei was speechless. He never thought that a delinquent like him would be able to change someone's life like that. Rei looked down at her wrists, purple and red scars were everywhere. "You're still cutting," he said.  
  
"But farther away from the vein," Kira added with a sad smile. "I'm better, everything's better when you're around," she said softly as she closed her eyes and embraced the moment.  
  
Rei sighed, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He silently vowed to make Kira truly happy, to make all her pain and worries go away.  
  
Author's Note: A bit short maybe, but I'm building up for something really really good, so please stick around. I thought the part with Rei and Kira was cute and a little sad, which is kind of hard to do. Not much Akira and Hideaki fluff here, I know some of you are jumping for joy. I've been super-busy with school work, but should have more writing time in two weeks or so. You know what to do! Click that sexy blue button and review!!! 


	10. Parting

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
animefan rikku- Well, here's the next chapter.  
  
kasia- Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like the story so far. Don't worry, they'll both get out eventually, Rei sooner than Kira as you'll see in this chapter.  
  
kitsunia- I thought it was cute too. Rei and Kira are the greatest couple! Their love is as solid as a rock. There's some Akira and Hideaki stuff in here, so enjoy! Yay, my ninth chapter has been Kitsunia proofed. Here's my next chapter, I hope you like it.  
  
optical illusions- Agreed, the review button is sexy. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
Moonmaiden625- Woe is the life of a student... I'm glad you liked the chapter. Don't worry Hideaki and Akira work things out later in this chapter. Kira's dad will get what's coming to him, don't worry! Can't wait for your next review! I'm glad that you're enjoying both of my Mars fanfics.  
  
man- There wont be much yaoi after this chapter. Thank you for the compliment and the review. Thank you for bringing the rating thing to my attention. See, I've changed it ::points upwards::.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Rei stopped in his tracks when he spotted his father sitting at one of the desks on the other side of the glass window in the guest room. He was the last person Rei expected to see here. He soon got over his amazement and continued forward, he had to keep up his tough uncaring facade.  
  
He sat down in front of his father and stared over at him coldly. Rei watched his father carefully, waiting for him to pick up the phone. Rei's father looked as he always did, he wore a suit and kept his briefcase nearby. His short blond hair was gelled back carefully, that his cold blue eyes and glasses made him look cold and very serious. Rei picked up the phone after his father did.  
  
"Good morning Rei," his father said professionally, there was no warmth or love in his voice. "How have you been?" he asked as he pulled out his briefcase and took out a few papers.  
  
"Just fine... no thanks to you," Rei muttered.  
  
"That's nice," he hadn't even been listening. "Well, I've got great news for you. I've settled a deal with your officer and the police department. You'll be out of here by next week," he said proudly, for it was all his own doing.  
  
Rei's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it, he truly thought that he'd rot in here. It was impossible to think that he'd only get a year and a half for drug use, possession and sale, grand theft auto, assault, and a two page list of other offenses he couldn't remember.  
  
"Now you know what this means don't you?" his father continued, his slightly wrinkled face was tight and very serious.  
  
"What?" Rei choked out. There were always rules and conditions with his father. It was impossible for his father to allow him to just skip out of juvie and live his own life. That was one of the things Rei detested about his father.  
  
"You'll live with me..." he was cut off by Rei.  
  
"No, forget it. I'd rather rot in jail and in hell afterwards than move in with you!" Rei exclaimed, his face growing hot with anger.  
  
His father's face went completely serious, showing Rei that there would be absolutely no room for argument. "Look, you're seventeen, a few months from being eighteen. A couple of months with your old man aren't going to kill you. After your eighteenth birthday you can move out and do whatever you please with your life," his father said. "Or you can stay here for the few months and then have them transfer you to real jail, which is harder to get out of. You really should be thanking me."  
  
Rei clenched his teeth, the vein in his left temple was pulsating. "Fine..." he mumbled. "Whatever..." Rei said, his father always got his way. It would be something he'd have to get used to again.  
  
Hideaki jumped slightly when he felt someone grab at his wrist. He should have known better than to wander around the facility by himself.  
  
"Hideaki can I talk to you?" Akira asked softly, looking into Hideaki's eyes pleadingly.  
  
"We have nothing to talk about," Hideaki said coldly despite the shivers going up and down his spine. Although he didn't want to admit it he was glad that Hideaki wanted to talk to him.  
  
"I think we do," Akira replied strongly. He wasn't going to let Hideaki get away from him. He was determined to set things the way they were supposed to be.  
  
Hideaki clenched his jaw and pulled his arm away from Akira and took a few steps away from him.  
  
"Please, just come with me to the cafeteria and listen to what I have to say. After that I'll never ask anything more of you," Akira said desperately. He really wanted to win Akira back, but wouldn't blame Akira if he never spoke to him again.  
  
Although his brain was telling him not to he followed Akira to the cafeteria. It was dinner time so it was very crowded.  
  
After weaving in-between tables they finally found space to sit in the center of the cafeteria.  
  
"I'm sorry Hideaki. I've been acting like an ass for months... There's no excuse for the way I've been treating you. It's just... I love you Hideaki I really do. I don't want to lose what we have. You mean the world to me and I'd do anything to have you back in my arms," Akira said nervously, hoping that Hideaki would accept his apology.  
  
Hideaki thought about what Akira just said. He knew that it probably took a lot of courage for him to come up to him and plead for forgiveness like this. Perhaps it was a sign that Akira really could change. "Okay," he said simply.  
  
"Huh? Just like that?" Akira asked, his eyes wide with surprise. Akira didn't think that it would have been that easy to get him back.  
  
Hideaki smiled, leaned towards Akira and placed a hand behind his head. He watched as a blush slowly creeped upon Akira's face, and then gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. It was his turn to be surprised when Akira deepened the kiss.  
  
Moments later Hideaki pulled away for air.  
  
"I love you," Akira said softly, not caring who may have been watching.  
  
"I love you too," Hideaki replied with a weak smile.  
  
"Hey Kira," Rei greeted her as he did everyday, although things seemed infinitely different between them now. They did after all exchange 'I love yous' two days ago.  
  
Kira sat up on her bed and looked over at Rei. The light that poured out of the window behind her and landed on Rei made him look like a golden god, it made it hard for her to act like she was mad at him.  
  
He gently shut the door behind him and sat next to her. "I'm sorry about yesterday," he said gently. The last thing he wanted was for Kira to be angry at him.  
  
She hung her head low, she could tell he genuinely felt bad about it. "I missed you," she said, her voice breaking. She felt a bit shy confessing these kinds of things to him.  
  
"I missed you too," Rei said truthfully as he placed a hand on her knee. "There's something I want to tell you," he said, taking a deep breath and preparing for what he had to tell her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked, looking up into his deep blue eyes. She wondered if it had something to do about why he wasn't here yesterday.  
  
"My dad came to visit me yesterday. Thanks to him I'll be out by next week," he paused, waiting for Kira's reaction. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "I'll be living with my dad until I'm eighteen, which will be a couple of months...."  
  
Kira blinked at him a couple of times. She didn't expect him to be out so soon, not after all he told her he'd done in the past. It made her wonder about how much power his father had, and why he'd hate him that much if his father did all that for him.  
  
"I'm happy for you. That's great!" Kira said once she got over her shock, a wide smile plastered on her face.  
  
"What's the matter? You don't seem so excited," she commented.  
  
"It's not that I'm not excited, it's just that I'll have to move in with m controlling father, go to a new high school and all that. What's the point if I'm going to leave as soon as I'm eighteen," Rei explained.  
  
"Where will you go?" she asked.  
  
"Anywhere, I don't care as long as I'm not with him..." there was a long and uncomfortable moments of silence. "I wont be able to see you as often as I am now," Rei admitted.  
  
Kira looked down and nodded her head slowly. "I know."  
  
"I'll come as soon as possible though. I promise," he said convincingly. "And every moment that I'm not with you I'll miss you like crazy." Rei gave her a small smile and gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek.  
  
Kira closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. She secretly worried that once he left juvie he'd see tons of girls that were better than she was, and that eventually he'd stop visiting. She felt like a caged bird.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rei asked when he felt her tense up.  
  
Kira shook her head. "It's nothing, really."  
  
"You're a horrible liar, tell me what's bothering you," Rei urged her. "Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then it's okay," Rei said after she refused to respond.  
  
They sat there with each other in silence until it was time for Rei to go.  
  
"I've got to go. Bye Kira," he said simply, hoping she'd tell him her thoughts before he left.  
  
"Bye Rei, I'll see you tomorrow," she replied. She sighed when she thought about how much she'd miss saying those words. She scolded herself for taking Rei for granted like that.  
  
"Love you," he said.  
  
"I love you too," Kira said with a small smile as she felt his press his warm soft lips on her forehead. Her smile slowly faded as she watched him walk out of the door.  
  
Author's Notes: Hello readers and prospective reviewers, thank you for reading this chapter. I hope that you've enjoyed it. I've got the entire week off so I hope to have another chapter out soon, but don't hold me to it. For those who have read my other MARS fic I'll add a new chapter or create a sequal as soon as I get inspration. 


	11. Rags to Riches

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
I've decided only to respond to a few reviews. Please don't be offended if you don't see your penname down here!  
  
Kitsunia- Lol, yeah it is sad that our favorite couple seem to be taking a break. Yup his dad is a bit of a prick huh? Yay, you're lucky, when it snows here when the schools in the cities around us get off or get out early ::pouts:: I would have updated earlier but when I was almost finished with this chapter my computer deleted it ::sobs::.  
  
Moonmaiden625- Yay, I'm glad that you're reading this story also. I can promise lots of drama with Rei living with his dad. Oops, thanks for pointing that out to me! You're a really good reader, but don't worry, all will be unraveled in good time. It's good that you like the idea of me making a sequel to my other fic. I can't wait for your next review!  
  
Optical Illusions- I get the week off because I don't have any tests this week ::does a little dance:: I wont be so lucky next year though =(. Here's my next chapter.  
  
Saranha de Angelo- I thought the idea for this fic was pretty awesome too. I was actually inspired by this other book I was reading at the time. I try hard to keep them in character, I'm happy to know that I'm doing a good job.  
  
Dragonz Kitty- Wow this was an amazing review. I was left speechless for a few moments. I really love it when I read a story and get into it and end up overflowing with thoughts and emotion when I'm finished. I'm very happy that my story made you and your fiancé feel that way. I'm also pleased to know that I've been able to display all the feelings I've been trying to express articulately. I'll keep writing as long as I've got great reviewers who give me inspiration such as yourself and your fiancé and all my other readers. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to finish this. Thanks again for the beautiful review I hope that you two stick around for the upcoming chapters.  
  
Thanks to everyone else who reviewed!  
  
The Story-  
  
Rei packed the few things he owned in his black canvas book bag. It felt strange, as though he was packing his life away and all he had was a couple of shirts, pants, boxers, and a bikers magazine. He wondered if this was all his life actually amounted to.  
  
He took one last look around his cell, so barren and cold. He slung the bag on his back and walked out of his cell for what he hoped would be the last time. Rei ignored the stares from his former inmates as he walked through the cafeteria and through the metal detectors and out the front door. He paused and looked around for his father. He let out an exasperated sigh when he spotted his father's black limo. Rei hated when his father showed off like that. A smile creeped upon his face when he thought about what his friends and enemies would think if he told them that he was the sun/nephew of a rich businessman.  
  
"Good morning Rei," his father greeted him as Rei got into the limo and sat across from him. "It's a beautiful morning is it not?" There was a warm breeze coming in from the partially opened tinted windows.  
  
"Whatever," Rei replied as he watched his father take a sip from his wine glass.  
  
"Tonight you'll be able to settle in and get used to living at home again. We'll have dinner at six. Tomorrow you'll take the placement test and Monday will be your first day of school," his father explained, leaving no room for argument.  
  
Rei groaned and rolled his eyes. He'd only go to school for five months, the moment he turned eighteen he planned on dropping out. It felt like a huge waste of time since he doubted he'd ever graduate.  
  
Warm classical music filled the air and Rei slowly drifted off to a calm sleep.  
  
He slowly opened his eyes when he felt somebody nudging his shoulder. He squinted when the sunlight that poured in from the open car door assaulted his eyes. He got out of the car and stared up at the large mansion. It looked much larger than it did last time he saw it.  
  
"Good morning master... and young master," said the man who opened the door for Rei and woke him up.  
  
Rei smirked, he liked the sound of young master. "Hey Jeeves," he replied cheerily.  
  
The butler stiffened and held out his hands to take the boy's bag.  
  
"Please show Rei to his room. I have a business meeting to attend, but I'll be back at five forty and expect dinner at six sharp," his father said and with a brief nod the door was shut and the limo took off.  
  
Rei and the butler walked through the large iron gates and up the walkway. Rei was mesmerized by all the beautiful greenery.  
  
He was even more impressed with the lobby, the floor was made of marble and there was a spiral staircase leading upstairs. As pretty as the staircase was, it was a killer to climb all the way to the second floor.  
  
The butler paused in front of Rei's bedroom. Rei could tell that it hadn't been opened for a long time, for when the door was opened plumes of dust came up. They both stepped inside.  
  
"You may go now," Rei said, they'd both been in the room for several minutes, it appeared that the butler was waiting for something. The butler bowed and exited to room, closing the door behind him gently.  
  
The first thing Rei did was open the windows. He stuck his head out and looked down.  
  
"Damn," he cursed out loud, it was too far out for him to climb out of. He walked over to his desk and looked around. The room was as plain as can be, it was almost suffocating. He wondered if this was how Kira felt in her room.  
  
Rei walked over to the bed and laid flat on his back. His thoughts traveled to the plainness of his room to Kira. He wondered what she was doing and thinking now. Their last days together were awkward, as if they were figuring out whether or not they were saying goodbye to each other. He knew that although she pretended to be happy about his getting out that deep down she feared that he'd forget about her. Rei wished he could find away to set her fears aside. After this thought he slowly fell asleep.  
  
He awoke hours later, panic filled his heart when his eyes caught the red flashing 6:30 on the digital clock on his desk. He jumped out of bed, ran a hand through his hair and straightened out his clothes before dashing out of his room and running down the stairs. He didn't even remember where the dinning room was.  
  
"It's nice to see you Rei," his father said from the head of the table when he spotted Rei standing in the doorway, his face slick with sweat.  
  
Rei looked up at him and the grand meal on the table.  
  
"Please, do come and join me," he replied, gesturing to the seat next to him.  
  
Rei did as he was told and took a seat. The table seemed so large with only two people seated. He was surprised that his father had the cooks prepare his favorite meal.  
  
"Unfortunately the food has grown cold sitting here and waiting for you," he continued. "Did you not hear when I said six sharp?"  
  
"I did," Rei replied, looking shamefully at his lap. He was hoping that his father would come home late from his meeting.  
  
"Then why did you decide to come down at six thirty instead?" his father asked sharply.  
  
"It's not that I decided to come in late, I just overslept!" Rei said defensively.  
  
"Oh, so you were sleeping!? So this is how you waste your free time. You could have been studying for the placement exams," his father replied curtly.  
  
Rei's jaw tightened. This was what he hated most about his father. He was always talking to him as if he was worthless and would never amount to anything.  
  
"I really don't know what will become of you Rei. You don't use your time wisely and you can't even be punctual," his father said sadly, shaking his head.  
  
"Then why do you even bother?" Rei asked, his voice low and angry. He clenched his fist until his knuckles were white.  
  
"I don't know," his father replied as he got up and left the table.  
  
Rei stood up and knocked a glass cup off of the table and watched as it shattered on the ground. He bent down and attempted to clean up the mess he'd made. He blinked when a piece of glass pierced his skin, causing his deep red blood to run on the floor. The blood reminded of all the blood he'd shed back in his days of being a wild child. He remembered all the people he'd hurt when he got into drugs and gangs. Although he knew that all these things were bad he knew that there were ups to his old life style... the women, the money, feeling as though he were on top of the world. He wondered if he'd be able to resist all the temptations of high school and the streets. Rei then thought about Kira, and quickly pushed the thoughts out of his head. He decided that he'd have to stay away from those things and become a successful person in order to take care of her. He wanted to become someone she could depend on and be proud of. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. Rei feared that no matter how many promises he made to her and to himself that he'd end up doing so anyway.  
  
Author's Notes- I would have updated days ago had my computer not deleted this chapter (I had to rewrite it ::frowns::). Well, this is more of a filler I suppose, an introduction to Rei's new life, getting to know his father and all (I'm sorry if he's a bit OOC, I know he wasn't that mean in the manga). I mightn't be able to update for a while ::grumbles:: school work. I'm so happy! I got so many reviews for the last chapter! Thanks a lot! ::Sighs:: I really love reviews, I jump for joy when I get those beautiful review alerts in the mail. I know that this chapter is a bit short, I'm sorry. 


	12. Away From You

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
Optical Illusions- Rei could walk to the asylum.... maybe he will in the future. Rei's dad isn't that nice, and it would be hard for him to get the people at the asylum to let him take Kira home. Then again there is Kira's step-dad also. Besides all that if I actually did that it would make their lives too easy! I must torture them a bit first.  
  
Verauko- You'll get your lemon soon enough ::blushes:: (I'm not too good at writing lemons.... no experience... in writing them that is...)  
  
MoonMaiden625- Yeah, remember he'll be getting into school in the middle of the school year. The letters thing is a good idea... but it would be a bit strange because of her whole mute thing and I'm sure the workers would read it, so they wouldn't be able to get too personal. Yeah, I think the whole strict/grumpy old business man thing is cute. It should be interesting because both Rei and his father have such strong and stubborn personalities. There will be some Kira stuff in this chapter, and some KxR stuff in the upcoming chapters. Ditto.  
  
animefan-rikku- Aww, come on, my last chapter wasn't thaaat short! It was a midbie.  
  
kittyz dragon- Hey dragon, thanks for the compliment. It's pretty cool how much your relationship is like Rei's and Kira's in this story. A bit spooky, but cool all the same. ::Waves to Kitty:: I'm hoping that I don't loose my inspiration too... although having writers block with a muse like yours sounds fun ::winks:: (j/k). That's pretty cool, I can't wait to hear from Kitty. I'm glad to know that I'm doing a good job, thanks again for the kick-ass review!  
  
Kitsunia- I'm happy you reviewed  
  
"What the hell is this!?" Rei roared, his voice almost shattering windows and vases. The maids and chef's stopped their work. They'd all heard Rei arguing with his father and heard of his shady past and cowered in fear whenever he was around.  
  
Moments later the butler appeared in Rei's room doorway. He peered at the bed and placed his hand on his chest with a small gasp. "Why, it's a suit young master," the butler said, faking surprise.  
  
Rei's face reddened and he turned to look at the old man. "I fucking know that. What I want to know is why the hell it's on my bed!" Rei snapped, maliciously glaring at the navy blue suit, white dress shirt and yellow tie that was perfectly arranged on his bed.  
  
"Your father instructed that I give it to you, he wants to take you out to dinner later today," the butler replied, his face straight and his voice unwavering. Unlike most he was unfazed by Rei's bad boy attitude.  
  
"I don't want to wear a flipping suit!" he complained, placing his hands on his hips.  
  
His brow creased into a frown. "He said what you wore was not up for argument," the butler replied sternly.  
  
Rei threw his head back in frustration, raking his long blonde hair away from his face with his hand. "Geez Jeeves!" he exclaimed, although the butler asked him many times not to call him Jeeves. "Not only does he have me caged up, but he's got me walking around like a suited monkey!"  
  
The butler tried hard not to take offense, considering that he wore a suit at all times. "You are to be ready at five thirty young master," he finished, leaving Rei and his anger to himself.  
  
He growled as he grinded his teeth. Rei walked over to the desk and used his arm to send all the things on top of it sailing to the ground, pencils, pens, and post-its were everywhere. Although he was upset that he'd have to go to school, he was glad in a way also. It meant less time around his father.  
  
"I'm glad that you made it here on time," his father said, keeping in mind their first dinner together since Rei was released from juvie.  
  
Rei simply nodded. Fancy restaurants were nothing new to him, he'd become used to the grouped of suited men standing in a corner playing complicated classical music,the waitresses kissing up to his father because he was a frequent customer, the fancy tableware and the intoxicating scent of wine.  
  
Rei reached out take up the glass of water, but then pulled away and frowned deeply. "What's the occasion?" Rei questioned.  
  
His father put down the large velvet covered menu in hand and looked up at Rei. "Occasion? Does there have to be a special occasion for me to spend some time with my son at a nice restaurant?"  
  
Rei snorted when his father used to word 'son.' Did he actually see him as his son? The whole father-son act seemed like a big facade to please others to him. It seemed more like his 'father' was treating him like this so that he wouldn't have to explain his sad and tragic past to his coworkers.  
  
"I'd like to congratulate you on your score on the placement test," he said.  
  
"What!?" Rei gasped, causing the people around them to stop and gaze in his direction.  
  
"You scored high enough to get into all honors classes," his father said, beaming at Rei in a way that he only did to Sei (a/n: although he isn't really Rei's father I'm going to call him that any ways).  
  
"As long as you're pleased daddy dearest," Rei muttered, his elbow on his table and his head propped up on his hand, causing his hair to fall over his face.  
  
"What was that?" his father asked quickly.  
  
"Nothing nothing, nothing at all," Rei said as he reached towards the middle of the table and picked up his menu. He propped it up on his lap and skimmed the pages, from the appetizers, to deserts, to beverages and main courses.  
  
Kira sulked in the farthest corner of the cafeteria by the full length window. She looked down at her Styrofoam tray and counted the green peas out of boredom. She lost count at twenty and turned her attention to her dark blonde bangs that almost covered her eyes. She couldn't even remember the last time she had her hair cut.  
  
Kira yelped when she felt someone's ice cold water slip down the front of her white shirt, exposing the bra she wore underneath.  
  
"Oops, I'm so sorry!" Humiko exclaimed dramatically, taking a step back and placing her hand over her mouth.  
  
"Let me get that for you!" another girl insisted, stepping forth with a dirty napkin in hand. She then leaned over and smeared deep purple jelly all over Kira's already soiled shirt.  
  
Kira's face and body grew hot with embarrassment. She could feel every around her laughing.  
  
"What's wrong!? I said I was sorry," Humiko insisted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She simply smiled at Kira for a while.  
  
"You thought you were on top of the world didn't you, back when Rei came to visit you everyday.... I've heard that he was released days ago," her harem of girls snickered along with her. "You're worthless Kira, he's not coming back. I knew it wouldn't last. Nobody will ever want you."  
  
With this Kira jumped out of her seat, almost sending her chair flailing to the ground on it;s side. They all laughed anc cackled as Kira fled the cafeteria.  
  
She swung the door to her bedroom open and stumbled to her bed, her body trembling as tears spilled down her cheeks. She kneeled over her bed as she tried desperately to stabilize her breathing.  
  
Oh how she missed Rei. She never realized how much she realized how beautiful he was, how much he meant to her, or how good it felt to have his strong arms around her.  
  
Why hadn't he come to see her yet? It had been five days, almost a week since they'd seen each other last. Should she have just forgotten about him and moved on her life? Perhaps it was silly and fairy tale like to expect him to come in shining armor and a white horse to save her from the black hole she called her life.  
  
Rei trudged into the house, kicking off his once white, now gray sneakers and dropping his book bag at the door.  
  
"Rei, come here. I need to talk to you," his father said from the living room.  
  
He groaned, conversations that started like this were rarely pleasant. He ran a hand through his hair and walked over to his father, preparing himself for the worst.  
  
"Your second fight this week, and five lateness'," his father said as he peered down at the letter he received from Rei's school through small rectangular horn rimmed glasses that sat on the tip of his nose.  
  
"Um, yeah, I can explain that," Rei began, but stopped because he didn't have an explanation that his father would buy.  
  
"I don't want explanations Rei Kashino. I want you to do better! I have faith in you," he exclaimed, putting down the letter on the mahogany table next to his chair.  
  
"No you don't! You had faith in Sei!" Rei retorted.  
  
"Why does everything have to be about me or Sei? Why can't you ever accept responsibility for your wrongs?" his father said, his old tired eyes searched Rei's stone cold ones pleadingly.  
  
"What! That's bullshit! Why can't you snap out of your dream world where Sei's death was an accident, where I can get straight A's, and where you and I will be anything more than strangers!" Rei yelled, his throat feeling raw from all the yelling he'd just done.  
  
"Why do you always have to be like this? Why can't we talk like adults, like men?" his father asked.  
  
"Why can't you accept who I am and stop trying to make me into something I'm not," Rei said, his voice breaking and his breath ragged.  
  
They both stared at each other for a while. The heat built up could have formed a red aura around Rei's body. He then stormed off and headed to his room, passing the gaping butler on his way to his room.  
  
Author's Note- This chapter is a bit short too... I'm sorry, but I'll make up for it by updating soon (I've started the next chapter already and there's a lot of RxK fluff). I thought the fight with Rei and his dad and the little bit about the suit was pretty cute. Humiko's bothering Kira again, will it become an everyday thing, or was she just offering her condolences about Rei's departure? I'm not too sure yet. If you've gotten this far please review! Reviews make me happy! 


	13. Love Under the Cherry Blossoms

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
Juliet- Thanks for the nice review. I hope you stick around for the upcoming chapters.  
  
Optical Illusions- Thanks for reviewing! Yeah... that would be interesting... but too creepy for my taste... Good idea all the same though ::light bulb goes on:: Wouldn't this make a good story- Rei moves back from California (racing or something) after many years to find Kira in an asylum with the cuts and the writing on the walls. Then he took her home and nursed her back to health and eventually the fell in love... or something like that. Back to your review- I've thought about the letters thing, but in an asylum they check mail for weapons and drugs etc. and someone could read what they write to each other and that would interfere with my plan. Don't worry not though, they see each other in this chapter! Maybe Rei will kill her, or maybe he wont find out... That would be interesting too... Kira walks into the cafeteria with a baseball bat and beats Humiko until she's unconscious... Very interesting... but OOC, and it would land her a couple of years in juvie... and that would ruin the plan too... ("the plan".... sounds kind of spiritual doesn't it?) It would be great if you decided to write a RxK Romance/Angst fanfic! ::Looks up at my response:: Wow, that was long... ::hands you a gold star sticker for the good ideas::  
  
man- Aww, I'm really sorry about the shortness of the past few chapters! This chapter is a bit longer.  
  
piglet- Thanks for the good advice. I made this chapter longer and made a little breaker. I know it's moving a bit slowly now, but it'll speed up in the next few chapters. Thank you for reviewing.  
  
Kittyz Dragon- Thanks for the great review. I wish Kittyz good luck with her studies.  
  
On with the story-  
  
Rei stepped out of the school kitchen with his tray piled high with food. He looked left and right wondering where he should sit. He avoided having to make such a decision by hanging around the teachers parking lot. However today a cigarette wouldn't mute his hunger. Back at juvie the small guys who couldn't defend themselves sat near the entrance where the security guards stood. The hard core gang bangers sat in the center talking loudly and shot intimidating glares at random people. The drug dealers sat in the darkest corners where their business would go unnoticed. The inbetweeners were scattered everywhere. Rei didn't know where he fit in at a normal high school.  
  
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!? Move it asshole!" snapped some guy from behind him, breaking into Rei's thoughts.  
  
Rei stepped aside and allowed the people behind him to pass. He took a quick look around. The jocks and their girlfriends sat in the center, the average Joe's sat wherever there was a seat and the geeks sat closest to the doors. Rei chuckled softly, he felt like he moved from one institution to another.  
  
As he walked past the jock's table a few girls called to him, earning Rei a few glares from their boyfriend's.  
  
"Hey, mind if I sit here?" Rei asked as he put down his tray.  
  
The girl and boy sitting at the table looked up at Rei with surprise. They'd heard all about his antics, rejecting the homecoming queen, getting into fights with the basketball and football captain, and telling off the head of the math department because he called him a degenerate. They assumed that he'd choose to sit with the "thugs."  
  
"Um... yeah... actually we were just..."  
  
"Sure why not!" the girl said quickly interrupting his stammering.  
  
"Thanks," Rei replied, grinning back at her.  
  
"Ouch!" she yelped, rubbing the sore spot on her side as she glared at the boy next to her.  
  
"I'm Harumi, and this is my very jealous boyfriend Tatsuya," she said.  
  
"It's nice to meet you both," Rei said politely.  
  
"So.... I hear that you just got out of jail," Harumi commented coyly as she traced the rim of her cup with her perfectly manicured finger.  
  
"Yeah, I guess everybody's heard. Well, it wasn't really jail it was juvenile hall," he replied with a sheepish smile.  
  
"How do you like it here so far?" she asked him as she smoothed out her short blond hair.  
  
"It's the same as any other high school," Rei replied with a shrug.  
  
"Are you going out with anyone right now?" Harumi asked boldly staring straight into Rei's sea blue eyes.  
  
"It doesn't matter Harumi because you are," Tatsuya interjected pointedly.  
  
"I wasn't asking for me..." Harumi said pouting slightly. "My friend likes him."  
  
"Yeah sure, whatever," Tatsuya snapped as he rolled his eyes and got up to leave the table.  
  
Both Rei and Harumi watched Tatsuya stalk out of the cafeteria.  
  
"I'm sorry, it's my fault," Rei said, feeling guilty for weakening the bond between them.  
  
"No, it's him not you," she replied as she suppressed a frustrated sigh. She was tired of Tatsuya overreacting and taking everything out on her. "I'll go and talk to him."  
  
"No, I'll go," Rei said, getting up quickly and leaving, not giving Harumi enough time to argue.  
  
He heard a door slam as he passed by the boys bathroom and decided to go inside to investigate.  
  
"Hey, Rei said cooly when he spotted Tatsuya sulking in front of the mirror.  
  
"What do you want now?" Tatsuya seethed. "Out of all of the girls in this school you had to go after her?!"  
  
"Choose her! Ha! Where did you get that notion? She's nice and all, but she's not that pretty. I mean her face is okay, spunky too and all that's cute. However the hair... I like to be able to run my hands through my girl's hair."  
  
"Are you saying my girl's ugly!?" Tatsuya asked, standing up straight and placing his hands on his waist.  
  
"No, no... That's not it at all I was trying to say that I'm not going after Harumi," Rei replied, trying to make amends.  
  
Tatsuya let this soak in and set his fears aside. "Okay," he replied as he nodded at Rei.  
  
"So we're cool?" Rei asked, offering his hand.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed as he took Rei's hand and shook it firmly.  
  
"Great! Now that we're friends and all there's something I'd like you to do for me," Rei said with a wide grin.  
  
Tatsuya's jaw dropped.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kira laid on her bed with her face buried in the white pillow. She didn't budge when the door swung open and closed. She figured that it was just a worker collecting her dirty laundry.  
  
"And here I was thinking you'd miss me!" said the man Kira knew and loved.  
  
Kira shot out of her bed and then ran into his open arms.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her tightly as though she'd just disappear like she did in his dreams.  
  
"Oomph Hmmgh!" she squealed her voice muffled by Rei's broad chest.  
  
"I'm sorry, was I hurting you?" he asked loosening his grip on her, looking down at her feeling guilty for hurting her. He sometimes forgot just how small and fragile he was.  
  
"It's okay," she said softly, her face was beet red.  
  
"How have you been?" he asked as he raised a hand to stroke her soft cheek.  
  
She closed her eyes and smiled up at him, melting his heart and turning his knees into jelly.  
  
"I'm better now that you're here," Kira said as she leaned against his hand and relished the feeling of his warm hand against her cold cheek.  
  
"That's not what I asked sweetheart," Rei said as he rested a hand on her shoulder.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "The same as always," she lied. Kira knew how he'd react if she told him about Humiko or if she told him that her father would be coming to see her tomorrow. He seemed happy right now and the last thing she wanted was to burden him.  
  
"Okay," he said with a nod. Although he guessed that she was hiding something he didn't press it. He refused to believe that the angel standing before him was capable of lies.  
  
"Hey, do you wanna go somewhere?" he asked. Her skin looked like it could use some sunshine.  
  
"But I'm not allowed to leave... Did you check it with the nurse or something..."  
  
He silenced her by pressing his thumb against her plump lips.  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said with a sneaky smile. "I'll have you back before they do room checks."  
  
She nodded and placed all her faith and trust in him and allowed Rei to sneak her out of the ward.  
  
Kira inhaled deeply when she took her first step outside.  
  
"It;s a beautiful day isn't it?" Re asked as he admired the flowering cherry blossoms, green grass and bright blue skies. It was the perfect picture for a post card.  
  
Kira nodded in agreement as they began to walk down the street.  
  
"Are you hungry?" he asked her as they neared a pizzeria.  
  
"No... um... I didn't bring any money," she stammered as she looked down at her battered once-white tennis shoes.  
  
"It's a date babe, so if you're hungry just say so," he insisted as he slipped his hand out of hers and slipped his arm around her small waist.  
  
Kira blushed even more, not only did he call her babe, but he also declared this outing a date. She'd never been out on a date before and began to worry about what she was supposed to do on one.  
  
"You can't honestly tell me that you're not starving after two years of food from a ward!" he joked, remembering the food from juvie and imagining that hers was similar.  
  
"Well, if you insist..." Kira said, catching a whiff of the pizza through the open window.  
  
"I do," Rei replied, feeling victorious. He then opened the large glass door for her and choose a booth.  
  
Rei slid into one side and Kira sat down in front of him.  
  
"Let me know when you've figured out what you wan," Rei told her as he handed her a menu.  
  
Kira skimmed up and down the sheet. There was so much to choose from... zeppolis, mushroom pizza, garlic knots, chicken rolls, pepperoni pinwheels, to calamari. It all looked so good. It was so hard for her to choose, she really didn't want to impose.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Rei asked, his brow slightly wrinkled.  
  
"Um... no," she replied as she quickly looked down at her menu. "What are you ordering?" she asked decided that his answer would give her an idea of what he could afford.  
  
"Four slices with mushroom, chicken, pineapple, anchovies, extra cheese, garlic cloves and onions, two orders of zucchini sticks, three orders of mozzarella sticks and two liters of pepsi," Rei answered all in one breath without looking up from his menu.  
  
Kira was speechless. She would have never guessed that Rei was such a big eater, although he had a good body he was rather thin for his height.  
  
"How about you?" Rei questioned.  
  
"One slice and a can of soda is fine," Kira replied politely.  
  
Rei gasped. "Is that all?!" he asked. "You're not the kind of girl to obsess over her weight are you? Now that I think about it, you're looking a little think these days. I mean there's not enough meat on your bones," he commented as he picked up her wrist and dangled her arm.  
  
Kira bopped him on the head with the rolled up menu with her free hand.  
  
"What was that for!?" he asked as he let go of her wrist to rub his head. "So violent..."  
  
Kira giggled.  
  
"I'll go order our food," Rei said as he collected their menu's and headed to the counter in the front of the restaurant.  
  
Kira felt goose bumps creeping on her arms. Against her will she found herself looking left and right suspecting that her father was somewhere and was waiting to snatch her away although he lived and worked far from here. She then wished that Rei would hurry up and come back.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked her as he slid back into his seat. She looked nervous and anxious.  
  
"Huh? Me? It's nothing," Kira said quickly.  
  
"Are you sure? You know that you can talk to me about anything right" Rei asked her tenderly as he placed his hand on her knee. It worried him when she was like this.  
  
She blushed slightly and nodded. "I'm fine Rei. I'm really happy to be here with you," she admitted with a sincere smile.  
  
"I'm glad to be here with you too," he replied, squeezing her knee softly.  
  
"Here's your order," the waitress said as she struggled to balance all three trays.  
  
"Let me help you with that," Rei said with his prize winning smile as he reached out to give her a hand.  
  
"Thank you," she replied gratefully.  
  
"No problem.... Cherry," he replied, reading the name from the shiny golf name label on her large chest. His eyes traveled from the name plate to her narrow waist and down to her shapely legs.  
  
"Enjoy," Cherry replied when she put down the last tray.  
  
Rei watched as she walked away, her hips swaying from side to side.  
  
"It looks good doesn't it?" he commented, looking down at his food after Cherry was out of sight.  
  
"Were you talking about the waitress or the food?" Kira asked softly, avoiding Rei's eyes because she knew that if she looked at his angelic face she wouldn't be able to stay mad at him.  
  
Rei frowned deeply. "What?" he asked sounding deeply hurt.  
  
"Nothing Rei, never mind," Kira said, reverting back to her cheery mood. She decided that it would be a waste of time to argue with Rei considering that the next time she'd see him could very well be in a month.  
  
"Fine, whatever," Rei replied as he reached out for a slice of pizza.  
  
They both sat in silence for a while, Kira upset that she caught Rei eyeing another girl and Rei too busy stuffing his mouth to speak.  
  
"That was fast!" Cherry exclaimed as she began to pick up their empty dishes. "Can I get anything else for you?" she asked as she leaned over to get his glass, giving him a good view of her cleavage.  
  
"Um.. uh.." he was struggling to stay cool as he reiterated 'I will not touch her, I will not ask for her number,' in his mind.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked, her glossy red lips curving upwards.  
  
"Check please," Kira said curtly.  
  
Cherry shot her a dirty look before tearing the check from the notepad she kept in the pocket of her uniform.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," Rei aid softly, looking down at his shoes as they walked down the street.  
  
Kira smiled slightly. "It's okay," she said, as long as she was the one he loved she was able to deal with him looking at other girls. He was a man after all.  
  
He nodded at her and lead her to a nearby park, holding her and tighter whenever they crossed streets.  
  
"Wow, it's beautiful here," she said with a gasp as she looked around, there were flowers in bloom everywhere. It was a wonderful change from being locked up in a stuffy psychiatric ward.  
  
"I remember that you were telling me about art and which colors reminded you of me... and well these remind me of you. The liveliness, and purity and gentleness of it all well... it reminds me of you," he said shyly.  
  
Kira beamed up at him, tears in her eyes. "That's so beautiful... thank you," she said, her voice weak and shaky completely overflowing with emotion.  
  
"You're welcome," he said as he leaned down and gently and pinched her cheek before leading her to a bench in-between two cheery blossom trees. He would have kissed her, but he ate four slices of pizza with both garlic and onions on it.  
  
She nuzzled up next to him and buried her face in the crook of his neck, his silky blonde hair tickling her forehead.  
  
"How's life with your father?" she asked, her breath on his neck causing him to tremble.  
  
He groaned. "It sucks, the man's tyrannical dictator. I can't wait to get out of his house."  
  
"Is it really that bad?" she asked curiously.  
  
He simply nodded. "I hate it there."  
  
"How's school?" she questioned, wondering what high school was like. Back when she was in junior high that was all people would talk about. She was wondering if it was as it seemed on the teen drama flicks.  
  
"That sucks too. It's like juvie without the bars," he said simply. "I've made two friends though, Harumi and Tatsuya. They seem cool, maybe I'll take them to see you one day," Rei said.  
  
Kira didn't reply. She wondered what it was like for him to have a girlfriend that was in a psychiatric ward. What did people say when they found out, did he even tell people? Did she want him to tell people... She shoved the thoughts out of her mind and decided that being with him now was more than enough.  
  
Author's Notes: I'm sorry about the short chapters I've been uploading lately. This chapter was more than a bit longer than the last few. There wasn't as much fluff as I said there would be... but the pizza and everything... so um yeah. I thought that this chapter was pretty good. I have the week off (midwinter recess) so I hope to update soon. Please Review!!!  
  
Ideas for new MARS fanfic's: Yay, I got the inspiration for two new fanfic's. I'm telling you there's nothing cooler than getting new fic visions (that's what I call them), it's like a flood of images or something like that... it's hard to explain. Any ways, here they are (please don't steal them, not that I think anyone would... but... well you know what I mean). Let me know which ones you like and if you have any ideas.  
  
Fic Idea 1 (A/U): After graduation Rei goes away to California to race motorcycles and Kira promises to wait for him while she goes to art school in Japan. She remains close to Tatsuya and Harumi. Rei gets caught up in the fast and lavish life (girls, money and all that stuff) of racing and stays an extra year. Kira doesn't hear from him, and assumes the worst. Her anxiety gets so bad she has to be admitted to a ward (lolz, I think I have a thing with wards). They erase her memory of Rei to stop her suffering. Rei then comes back. It may not sound too interesting so far, but I'm telling you this fic is going places. There will be a TatsuyaxKiraxRei triangle. I hope to have the first chapter/prelude to this chapter up within two weeks.  
  
Fic Idea 2 (A/U): This is what happens when you watch the Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Biker Boyz all in one night. Kira's the little sister of a tough street racer motorcycle gang. Rei is an ex-pro motorcycle racer (he was thrown out for reasons that will be explored later in this fic), new street racer. He's young arrogant and loves to show off. He shows up Kira's brother Seiji in a street race and wins. Rei gains his respect and joins the gang. He falls for the quiet art student Kira, but her older brother strongly disapproves (think Scarface). That's all I can give away now, but I can promise a lot of action (violence, dangerous racing, running from the cops and all that other good stuff).  
  
Please please please let me know what you think of these fic ideas! (I'll write them either way, but I'd still like your input). I'm telling you though if you steal these ideas I will come after you!!! 


	14. Together at Last

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
First of all I'd like to thank all my reviewers for all the great reviews. One hundred wOOt!  
  
Kitsunia- Hey thanks for the review. Yay, I'm glad you liked the last chapter ::stamps the last chapter "Kitsunia Proofed":: I'm glad that it had enough fluff. I was worried that the readers would have been disappointed. I thought that the second was pretty cool also. I think it's the most creative thing I've come up with so far. I'm having a little trouble staring out... ::pouts:: Oh well, I'll come up with something soon enough.  
  
Verauko- You will get your lemon, I promise. I just have to wait for the perfect moment. You must not rush the *artist* j/k. You like the first idea more hmmm... Since I like both ideas and so do the readers I think I'll start both. I'm hoping to update this fic and to put up the preludes to both chapters... If I'm lucky.  
  
Kasia- I agree a love triangle with Rei would be fun, because we all know that he's not used to having to fight for the girl he likes and we all know that Tatsuya doesn't get enough love.  
  
animefan rikku- Thankies! I'll see you in the next chapter.  
  
External Twin/ Alison- Yay, it's nice to see the face of a new reviewer! I hope that you become a regular. I know, I know, but the thing is that I've got a lot going on with school and the family etc so I don't get to update as soon as possible. I try to update each week or every two weeks. I'm glad you like fic idea #2.  
  
Dragonzkitty- Wowness and fluffynissified, I like. I dunno... maybe Kira and Rei will go out again and will run into her dad. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
LaLagirl- I'm glad that you're back. Thanks for the great review, I hope to have the next chapter up (and story 1) up soon.  
  
Lil Chi- Thanks for the review!  
  
Shaeya Sedjet- ::Sops up the blood from my wounded ego:: Ouchies! I liked your review, you've given me something to work on. I know that I didn't mention what happened between Kira and her step-dad, but I'm sure that the visiting room scene made it obvious (I prefer to show things instead of saying things outright). I'm sorry about the jumping part... I'll try and smooth things out more. Thanks again for the helpful review. I hope that you decide to come back for the upcoming chapters.  
  
Legacee- ::Huggles:: I loved your review, it's a huge ego booster. Don't worry Kira's dad will be coming into the story more later, and especially at the end of the story. Thanks again for the lovely review!  
  
The Story-  
  
Months later:  
  
"Kira Aso, please come to the visiting room. Your father is here to see you," said a loud, dull, droning voice over the loud speaker.  
  
Kira jumped out of bed and scrambled for something appropriate to wear. She completely forgot about her father visiting her today.  
  
She finally settled on faded denim jeans and a white t-shirt. Kira used a comb to pull her long hair into a low ponytail and walked to the visiting room. Her heart didn't ache as much as it usually did whenever she saw her stepfather. Perhaps it was all Rei's doing.  
  
"Good morning Kira. What kept you so long? Didn't the nurse tell you I'd be here at twelve sharp?" her step father said from the couch. He was wearing slacks and a green sweater, his weekend wear.  
  
Kira didn't reply, keeping up her mute facade.  
  
"Oh please, do sit," he said politely, patting the seat next to him.  
  
She did as ordered and sat down as far away as possible without offending her stepfather.  
  
"You didn't answer my question Kira. Why are you late?" he repeated.  
  
Kira shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her lap, keeping her legs close together.  
  
He grabbed her upper arm in a vice grip and shook her violently. "Answer me dammit!!! Why are you late?"  
  
A yelp crept up in her throat and she looked into her father's fiery eyes in terror. He rarely got this violent with her, let alone in a public place like this. What was he expecting from her?  
  
"How stupid do you think I am?" he seethed, his hot breath assaulting Kira's nose. "Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about!" he snapped, slapping her hard against her right cheek. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.  
  
Tears were streaming down Kira's face as she silently prayed that he wasn't talking about what she thought he was talking about. She hoped that he didn't know about her pretending to be mute.  
  
"You've been faking all along! They got footage on their security cameras of you talking to somebody. They call me up at my work place asking me to come down for a meeting. I missed a day of work to attend that shit! They wanted to keep you a while longer, sort through your so called problem," he said, calming down just a bit.  
  
Kira's eyes grew wide. Not only did this mean that she'd be going home with him, but he'd treat her ten times worse than usual.  
  
"I of course said that it was probably some form of teen rebellion and convinced them to release you. I'll be back tomorrow evening to pick you up and bring you home," he explained as he got to his feet and rearranged his clothes so that he'd no longer look like a raging mad man. "You look frightened Kira... Not frightened enough though..." he added with a smirk, turning around and leaving Kira alone on the couch.  
  
She was so scared that she couldn't even cry anymore. Kira simply got up and went to her room. There was nothing she could do to fight it anymore.  
  
Kira's heart didn't even respond when she opened the door to find Rei sitting on her bed.  
  
"Hey sweets..." he began, but stopped short when he saw Kira. He got up and rushed over to her. "Oh my god, who did this to you?" he asked, referring to the large black and blue bruise on her face and the blood running from the corner of her mouth.  
  
She put her frail arms around his neck and allowed him to carry her to the bed.  
  
"What the hell happened?" he asked furiously, a vein popping out of his forehead. This only happened when he was really mad or frustrated.  
  
"He knows Rei... He knows I've been faking it. I'm going back tomorrow," she said in a flat monotone, as though there were nothing she could do to stop it from happening.  
  
Rei shook his head slowly out of disbelief. "No," he said strongly. "You can't go back to that bastard. I'd die before I let you become some old guy's sex slave," he said as his face reddened out of anger.  
  
She smiled up at him sweetly, it made her happy that somebody loved her that much. "No Rei, there's nothing you can do about it. Thank you though. What we had, it was nice. I didn't know that it was possible to feel that way about somebody. Thanks for loving me, and allowing me to love you."  
  
"What the hell are you saying!? Can you hear the words coming out of your mouth? You can't go back to him. Look, I've got a plan," he said, his face brightening.  
  
Kira looked up at him half heatedly.  
  
"My friend got this apartment for me and I'm moving there today, half my stuff is there already. Late at night I'll come for you and we'll live there together. You're step-dad will never find us. I'll get a job and save enough money to move someplace far away from here. It'll be perfect, just you and me. Like we talked about, remember?" Rei asked, his eyes looking hopeful.  
  
Kira's eyes welled up with tears immediately. The one thing she wanted more than anything else was to be able to live with Rei forever, in a place where neither his father or her step father could upset their happiness.  
  
"Okay," she whispered.  
  
"Good," he replied, kissing her on her forehead, giving her that boyish grin that made her fall in love with him in the first place. "Pack light and be ready for me at midnight," he added.  
  
"I will," Kira answered. It was all a bit unreal for her. She harbored deep and dark worries in the pit of her stomach, but tried to forget about it.  
  
"Okay, I've got to go. I'll see you tonight," he said, caressing her cheek before leaving.  
  
She took a nap and woke up hours later. It was already eleven o'clock, Rei would be there in an hour. She turned on the lights and began to rummage through her things. Kira pulled her knapsack onto her lap and stuffed some underwear, t-shirts, sweaters, jeans and her miscellaneous items. Although she was nervous she was also excited. Living with Rei would almost be like being married. She'd always dreamed of being somebody's wife when she was little.  
  
Kira sat on her bed and tapped her fingers on her bed. Her stomach felt horrible, like someone was tying her intestines into knots. She was so nervous. An eighteen year old guy and a seventeen year old girl, both without high school diploma's living together in an apartment, all on their own... What would become of them? The last thing she wanted was for him to begin resenting her.  
  
Two knocks on the front door pierced through her thoughts. She got up and opened the door with caution.  
  
There was Rei, clad in all black, looking like some kind of robber. It was pretty cute.  
  
"Are you ready?" he whispered.  
  
She nodded and grabbed her bag, which Rei later took and held for her. She closed the door behind her gently and followed Rei to the back door. Kira wondered if she'd miss this place, if she'd miss the food, the nurses who tried so hard to make you think that they really really cared. It didn't matter, everything would be fine, as long as she was with Rei.  
  
He held the door open for her and she followed him unto the sidewalk. She was free at last.  
  
"Thank you!" she said, taking his hand in hers.  
  
The sky was black and the stars looked like someone scattered diamonds unto a midnight blue blanket. It was beautiful. The air was cool and crisp around them.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Rei asked her softly, squeezing her hand. She'd been rather quiet since they left.  
  
"Are we there yet?" she joked, her feet were getting tired.  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah, a few more blocks," Rei replied. "I'm sorry, I know the area's not that great," he said looking down at the cracked concrete. He felt bad that he wasn't able to give her the huge mansion equipped with a pool and hot tub that she deserved.  
  
Kira let go of his hand and snaked it around his waist to assure him that she was okay. "I'd be happy to call anyplace where you are home."  
  
Rei smiled and led her up the back staircase of a building that looked abandoned.  
  
They climbed up to the third story and Rei stopped at the door. He pulled a key out of his pant pocket and and shoved the door open.  
  
"Well, this is it," he announced as he flipped on the light.  
  
Kira stepped past him and stood in the middle of the apartment... or room. All there was was a room, a bed on the far corner a kitchen area and a tiny bathroom.  
  
"I told you it wasn't much," Rei said softly, as he stood behind her, shuffling his feet from side to side.  
  
Kira whirled around to face him and threw her arms around him.  
  
"I love it, and I love you too! Thank you Rei," Kira said, truly grateful.  
  
Rei let out a huge sigh of relief. He was worried that she'd be horrified and walk out on him or something.  
  
"I've got to leave early tomorrow morning, so I'll get to bed," Rei said, being alone with her like this was a bit awkward. He didn't know how to act and didn't want to overstep his boundaries or something.  
  
Kira nodded and went around examining her new home as Rei changed for bed.  
  
He was very surprised when he felt Kira creep into bed and slip her arms around him from behind.  
  
"Kira? Are you sure you're okay with this? I can sleep on the floor if you'd feel more comfortable that way," he offered, not sure he'd be able to keep his cool in this situation.  
  
"Yeah, I feel comfortable like this," Kira said as she nuzzled her head into his back.  
  
Rei didn't respond and tried his hardest to put his dirty thoughts away and fall asleep.  
  
Author's Notes: Yay! They're living together now. I must admit, I was smiling as I wrote this chapter. It was just so sweet. Or at least I thought so. Kira's dad might have been a little OOC, I know that in the manga he didn't seem all that violent... but yeah. A little short I know, but I just really wanted to get another chapter up this week. I hope that you liked the chapter, please review! 


	15. When two become one

Warning and Disclaimer: There is some lemony material in this chapter (this means sex between Rei and Kira for those who don't know what the term lemon means). I don't support nor do I condemn premarital sex. If lemony material offends you please don't read this chapter. I will disregard any flames about this, because you've been warned. People please be gentle with me, this is the first time writing a lemon. I don't own any of the characters in this story, but the plot is all mine mine mine!  
  
A/N: I've decided to get into the story first and to save the responses to reviews for the end.  
  
The bright sun pouring in from the uncurtained windows burned Kira's eyes as she slowly awakened from her long sleep. She stretched her arms across the full sized bed and felt nothing to her surprise. Kira sat up in bed and looked across the small apartment, it was quiet and very much empty. Rei wasn't home.  
  
Kira let out a long yawn and reluctantly tumbled out of bed. She hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in years and didn't want to come out of her peaceful slumber. She wasn't sure if she slept so well because she was out of the ward or if it was because Rei was there with her. Her gaze traveled slowly from the battered and stained once blue carpet below her feet to the stained windows. It appeared to be a beautiful day outside.  
  
She walked from the foot of the unmade bed to the bathroom to get washed up so she could do some cleaning or something productive. A folded white sheet of paper on a light brown plastic milk carton caught her eye. Kira bent over and picked it up to read it. It read:  
  
K-  
Hey, left to work. I'm sorry you had to wake up by yourself. I left some cash under this note so you can buy something to eat, don't worry about me I'll grab something on the way home. I'll try and get home early.  
  
Love, R  
  
Her lips curved up slightly after finishing the letter. His writing style was just like Rei, short, sweet and to the point. She truly hoped that Rei would make it home early. Although she'd seen him last night and slept in the same bed with him she found herself anxious to see him again. Rei was like a drug you couldn't get enough of.  
  
She stepped into the small bathroom and took a look around. The baby blue and white tiles were swirled into various patterns and the grout in- between them were badly stained with age and dirt. Rei's damp towel hung over the shower rod and a fresh white carefully folded towel was laid on the counter. Kira smiled at how considerate he was. She really hoped that they could live together like this, just him and her.  
  
Kira undressed quickly, pulling her oversized t-short over her head and letting her panties fall to the ground and rest at her ankles. She got into the shower and closed the glass door. She jumped when the cold water hit her back and remembered Rei warning her that the plumbing in the building was old. Soon enough the water grew to be luke warm.  
  
As she ran her sudsy sponge along her body she wondered what her step father was doing now and if he'd been to the ward yet. She could almost picture how furious he'd be when he'd found out that she was missing. He'd cast the blame upon the nurses that were responsible for me and he'd cast the blame upon my doctors and never himself. That was how her stepfather handled every problem.  
  
When she was done showering she stepped out of the shower and quickly toweled herself off and slipped into new underwear and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She then got on her socks, sneakers and tucked the bill under Rei's letter into her back jeans pocket.  
  
As she walked down the deserted streets she found herself feeling guilty. Rei was out working hard from morning to night so that they'll have a happy life together while she did nothing all day. This made her feel useless yet again. People often told her that everybody has a role to play on this earth, she wondered what hers was.  
  
After walking down blocks of abandoned buildings she finally came across a small corner grocery store. The red and white sign read 'Mama Caparro's Deli.'  
  
"Good day, I don't remember seeing you around these parts," an old man said outside as he swept up the dried leaves with his old and beaten broom.  
  
"I just moved here," Kira replied politely. "It was nice meeting you," she said as she offered him a nod and walked into the store.  
  
Walking down the small isles she noticed that somebody was watching her. The older teen stood a few feet away from her pretending to read the nutrition facts on the back of a box of cereal. She was thin and average height and wore fancy bobby pins with butterflies in her short blond hair. Kira began to wonder if she was sent by her stepfather to bring her back home. She was so certain that he'd come back for her, that it was beginning to make her a bit paranoid.  
  
Kira tried hard to ignore her apparent stalker until it was all to obvious and she decided to speak up. "Um, can I help you with something?" Kira asked politely, trying hard not to offend the girl in case she really wasn't stalking her.  
  
"Oh, me? I'm sorry for staring, but you look exactly like what my friend Rei described his girlfriend to look like. Are you by any chance Kira Aso?" the girl questioned friendlily.  
  
Kira blushed, she still wasn't quite used to being somebody's girlfriend. "Yeah, I am," Kira said, nodding slightly causing her waist mid back length ponytail to sway back and forth.  
  
"I'm Harumi, Rei and I went to high school together," she said, extending a friendly hand towards Kira. Saying 'went to high school together' made Harumi feel like she was a graduate when in fact it was only that Rei dropped out.  
  
Kira took it and shook Harumi's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Harumi. Rei's told me about you and you're boyfriend Tatsuya. I'm really happy to know that Rei has great friends like you."  
  
"So, do you live around here?" Harumi asked, following Kira as she strolled down the isles, picking up various tinned vegetables and bottled juices. It was really hard to be jealous of somebody so innocent looking and polite, but Harumi still found herself wishing that she could take Kira's place and be in Rei's arms.  
  
"I guess you could say that," Kira replied, considering her tiring twenty minute walk here.  
  
They continued to talk and get to know each other and eventually they ended up at the cash register picking up Kira's grocery bags.  
  
"I'll take you home if you don't have a ride," Harumi offered, holding the door open for Kira to pass.  
  
"Oh no, I couldn't ask you that," Kira said quickly. She didn't like imposing on people.  
  
"No no, it's no problem," Harumi insisted as she led Kira to her car. It was only a few steps away and it took minutes alone for Kira and Harumi to pack the grocery bags into the car and to get going.  
  
"So, how do we get to your apartment from here?" Harumi asked as she began to pull out of her parking spot.  
  
"Make a left at the next block and keep going straight," Kira said, snapping her belt buckle into place.  
  
Harumi nodded. "You live around here?" she asked, sounding surprised. The quaint grocery stores and small multifamily houses became back streets and abandoned factories and buildings. She couldn't imagine a tiny framed girl like Kira living alone in an area like this.  
  
"Yeah, I know it doesn't look like much, but this is all Rei and I can manage for now," Kira replied simply.  
  
"Wait, you guys are living together now?" she gasped in reply. Rei said that he'd be moving out of his step father's mansion, but failed to mention that he'd be living with Kira.  
  
"Yeah, we didn't really plan it though" Kira said, preparing herself for the speeches that her teachers and family members used to make about how wrong it was to live with a man before you're married.  
  
"Wow, that's just too cool. Did I tell how lucky you are to be going out with a guy like Rei," Harumi exclaimed, squealing like a school girl. "It's almost like eloping. Speaking of that, when are you guys getting married and having kids?"  
  
Kira burst out laughing. The thought of Rei in a tuxedo or a small child extending his arms to Rei and calling him 'daddy' was just too much for her.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm babbling again aren't I? I have a bad habit of doing that. It's probably annoying isn't it?" Harumi asked after Kira's laughter died down.  
  
"No no, it's nice actually. I've never really had a friend that I could talk to. Rei's great and all, but it's nice to have a girl to talk to," Kira admitted.  
  
Harumi smiled, she'd just made a new friend.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Three loud raps at the door pierced through Kira's thoughts, causing her to jump out of her seat. She wondered who it could be, and immediately she began to fear that her stepfather found her.  
  
She rushed to the front door and fearfully peered through the peep hole of the door. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Rei standing at the door, running his hands through his long and shaggy blond hair.  
  
"Rei, I thought you had a key," Kira commented as she opened the door and stepped aside for Rei to enter.  
  
"I know, but I've always wanted to be greeted at the door by a beautiful woman," Rei replied smugly as he locked the door and swooped down and held her in his arms.  
  
"You said you'd try to get home early today," Kira complained, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent. He smelled like a mix of gasoline, grease and lemon.  
  
"I am home early," Rei said as he put down his tool box and flopped down unto the bed. "Ugh, I'm so exhausted."  
  
Kira felt a pang of guilt when he said this. "Maybe I should get a job, that way you wont have to work so much."  
  
"No, I wont allow it. Nine to six at a video store and then seven to twelve at a construction site is nothing," Rei lied as he pulled off his damp t-shirt and undershirt. His broad sweaty chest gleamed in the moon light.  
  
Kira sighed and walked over to sit next to him. "I missed you," she admitted. She couldn't resist running a hand across his abdomen, it was more muscular than she expected. His skin seared underneath her cold hands.  
  
Rei glanced at her and smiled slightly. It was a bit uncharacteristic for Kira to touch him like that, he usually had to kiss her first. He liked it when she decided to make the first move.  
  
"I missed you too," Rei said, taking her hand in his.  
  
Without thinking Kira leaned down and kissed Rei tenderly. Their innocent kisses turned into lustful kisses, leaving much more to be desired. Within moments Rei's body was on top of Kira's and the first few buttons of her shirt were undone, leaving part of her lacy white bra visible.  
  
Kira pulled away for air and laid motionless as Rei's hands got aquatinted with her stomach and soon found their way to the strap of her bra. Soon enough she was topless and Rei's hands began to flick her nipples.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rei asked, pulling away from her when he noticed the change of pace in her breathing.  
  
"It's nothing just that... I thought you were exhausted," Kira joked, changing the subject. She knew exactly where things were going and she could feel his manhood poking at her ribs. Suddenly she felt selfconscious and crossed her arms against her chest. Kira wondered how she compared to any of the girls he had in the past.  
  
Rei smiled at her, but it faded as quickly s it appeared. "A guy's never too tired for that. Don't change the subject Kira. If you don't want to do it just let me know. I don't mind."  
  
Kira smiled up at him. It was wrong to punish Rei for crimes her step father. "No, I want this with you," Kira said, trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing along with Rei.  
  
"Are you sure?" Rei asked, not wanting to do something they'd both regret.  
  
Kira answered him by wrapping her arms around his neck and claiming his lips with hers.  
  
Rei accepted her answer and replied his approval by deepening the kiss. They went back and forth between nibbling playfully eachother's lower lips and allowed their tongues to roll frenziedly together. Kira whimpered when he pulled away to focus his attention elsewhere. A gasp escaped her lips when he cupped her breasts with his hands and began to nibble and suck at her already hard nipples. Before now all thoughts of sexual contact brought Kira to thoughts of her stepfather, but this with Rei was nothing like it. Rei was much more giving, caring and moved slowly and was gentle. She was loving all of it and her body knew exactly how to react to each and every of his touches and caresses. After moments of tantalizing kissing, nibbling and touching they were both naked and clothes laid where ever they were thrown.  
  
Kira's heart rate doubled and her blood began to race through her veins when she felt Rei's manhood touch her opening. Hips began to grind against one anothers, slow and tender thrusts became fast pumping. Moans rang out through the night, making both Rei and Kira grateful that they had no neighbors.  
  
After his last thrust he let out a long moan and collapsed next to Kira. They laid down next to each other panting and trying desperately to catch their breath.  
  
Kira turned to look at him. Even sweaty, flushed, and with hair plastered to his forehead Rei still looked beautiful. In this moment she loved him more than ever.  
  
"Now I'm exhausted," he joked, giving her the boyish grin that made girls of all ages swoon.  
  
Kira smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Rei, I wish you were my first," she told him softly as she rested her head in the crook of her neck and draped her arm around his waist.  
  
Rei smiled sadly and ran a hand through her hair. "I wish you were mine too," he answered truthfully as he held her tighter.  
  
Authors Notes: ::blushes:: Well I don't know if it classifies as a lemon, considering that nothing more than a R is allowed. Kinda short, yeah I know and I'm sorry. I hope that this was satisfactory, you know what to do please review.  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
Kitsunia- Yay! ::dances along with you:: I'm so glad you reviewed. Fanfiction.net was having some problems so I wasn't notified and though that everyone hated my last chapter. I was a bit depressed for a while. Here's my next update, don't worry I wouldn't land a plane just like this, there's more turbulence on the way.  
  
Optical Illusions- ::Sobs:: Yeah... I missed you... but I'm okay now that you've reviewed this chapter. Of course Kira's dad will come after her, but not for another few chapters. Sound effects huh... ::Thinks about adding side effects to my fanfic:: j/k. Thanks for the lengthy review.  
  
man- I really appreciate your reviews, they mean bunches to me. Remember when Rei's dad was convincing him to go to school he promised Rei that he could leave after he was eighteen, which I said would be in five months. Then in the beginning of the last chapter I said that five months went already? Good question though, I'm sure that many other people didn't get that either. Maybe I'll redo that chapter with a scene with Rei moving out when I'm done with this story...  
  
Animefan rikku- ::Bows:: Yay thank you. ::Frowning now:: I'm sorry about the shortness, as I said in your response to the other fic, I'll work on it. Those questions will be answered later on in the fic. What do you mean!? I said that one was finished for now, or until I get the inspiration to create a epilogue or sequel. ::Still frowning::  
  
Legacee- Hmm... perhaps, a good idea for the end of the story or something.  
  
Verauko- The chapter you've been waiting for ::points up:: I really hope that it was good enough. Citrus writing is much harder than I thought it was.  
  
SHArice- Hey there, it's really nice to see the face of a new reviewer around here. Aww, thanks a lot for the comment. Yes yes, Rei's dad's character will be developed much more. He'll play an important role later on in the story. Hmm, I think Akira and Hideaki play a minor role later on in the story, but I doubt I'll have any fluff between them. Thanks again for the great review, I hope you stick around for the later chapters.  
  
MoonMaiden625- Eeek! I can't believe I wrote that! I meant gold, not golf. It's because they put the g next to the f on the keyboard. I'm sorry, but that's what happens when you stay up all night in an effort to update a story before the weekend's over. Thanks for pointing that out though. Perhaps it is a little OOC for Rei to behave like that but nobody's perfect, not even him. I've started the prologue for the second fic idea, but I don't know it's not just right yet. Thanks for the lengthy review. 


	16. No Reply

A/N: IÕve decided to get into the story first and to save the responses to reviews for the end.  
  
Weeks Later-  
  
ÒKira, are you sick in there again?Ó Rei whined from his crouching position outside the locked bathroom door. For the second week this month Kira spent much of the morning hunched over the toilet bowl.   
  
Kira felt bad about making him worry so much. ÒIÕll be out in a minute Rei,Ó she said when her episodes of hurling finally subsided. She figured sheÕd be out soon because she doubted that there was much else left in her stomach to throw up.   
  
Rei winced and turned away from the door when another series of gut wrenching vomiting noises erupted again. The constant gut wrenching noises were almost too much to bear. It killed Rei to have to see Kira hurting so much and not be able to do anything to stop it.  
  
The door squeaked open slowly and when Kira emerged from the bathroom her normally lively skin was drained dry of all color, the rings around her pale brown eyes were getting significantly darker and her lips were pursed tightly. Had the situation not been so serious Rei would have joked about it and said that she looked like a zombie.  
  
ÒWhat do you think is causing this Kira? YouÕve been like this for quite a while,Ó Rei questioned, wrinkles forming on his forehead. Despite the fact that nothing Kira ate seemed to stay down she appeared to be gaining weight too. He couldnÕt quite put his finger on it, but something was going on with her, and it seemed to be more than just a flu or a stomach virus.  
  
ÒItÕs probably the flu or something,Ó she replied weakly while she limped towards the bead. Kira began to feel unworthy of all this attention when he was the one overworking himself while she relaxed at home all day. ÒIÕll be fine Rei, you should get to work. YouÕll be late,Ó she breathed out, even walking was hard for her right now.  
  
ÒAre you sure? I mean, I donÕt feel comfortable letting you stay home like this. I really doubt that this is the flu Kira, I mean itÕs the middle of summer...Ó Rei insisted. He stood in the center of the room half dressed with his hands settled on his hips as he peered over at her. Rei felt horrible about not having enough money to take her to the doctor to get everything checked out. He just moved out of his house a while ago and didnÕt want to call home for help already. Rei didnÕt want to give his father that kind of satisfaction.  
  
Kira released the annoyed sigh that had been building up inside of her slowly. ÒDonÕt worry about it. IÕll call Harumi and ask her to stay over,Ó she suggested as she ushered him towards the door after he slipped on the t-shirt that was resting on the back of one of the dining room chairs.  
  
ÒWhat!? Harumi!? How do you know her?Ó Rei asked, getting alarmed and wondering what kind of things Harumi been telling Kira.   
  
ÒIÕll explain it to you in all due time. Come on, get to work already,Ó she said as she used the last of her strength to shove him out of the apartment and into the hallway.  
  
ÒWhatever...Ó he replied, kissing her quickly on the cheek as he did every morning before leaving, and jogging up the hallway and down the stairs.  
  
Kira let out a long sigh and rested against the door as she rested up for the walk back to her bed.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*  
  
ÒWhatÕs up Kira? IÕm sorry that I couldnÕt come sooner, but I came as soon as I got your urgent message,Ó a breathless Harumi said as she stepped inside of the one room apartment and rested her bag on one of the kitchen chairs.  
  
Kira said nothing and stepped behind her short blonde haired friend and closed the door gently. She turned her back to the door and blushed an unnatural shade of red as she got ready to share something very personal.  
  
ÒI... I um... I think IÕm pregnant...Ó she let out shyly, both nervous and anxious about how Harumi would react. At this very time she was very relieved to have a friend like her. Who else would she have been able to share this with had it not been for Harumi? Rei was great and all, but it was always nice to have a girl to talk to.  
  
ÒWhat! Oh my god!Ó Harumi said excitedly as she pounced upon the smaller girl, swaying her back and forth. ÒDoes he know yet?Ó she asked as she pulled away so she could see KiraÕs face.  
  
ÒNo, he doesnÕt know yet. I wasnÕt sure so I wanted to check before I let him know... I wanted you to be here with me,Ó Kira explained as she pulled a small rectangular box from a brown paper bag from beneath the bed.  
  
ÒOkay then what are we waiting for? Go in there and check!!!Ó Harumi insisted as she walked over to the bathroom and held the door open for Kira, leaving no room for hesitation.  
  
Kira took a deep breath and stepped into the bathroom. Never before had the tiled walls felt so confining, her heart felt like it was trying to burst out of her rib cage. She could believe that she was actually speculating whether she was pregnant or not. This certainly wasnÕt the best time to have to worry about things like this considering that she moved in with Rei recently and they werenÕt doing so well financially.  
  
KiraÕs hands shook as she read the instructions on the side of the box and did as they said. After taking it out and reading the results her vision clouded over and her stomach began to hurt more than ever. She felt like she could have fainted right there and then.  
  
A gasp escaped HarumiÕs lips when she saw Kira emerge from the bathroom. The answer to the question she was about to ask was written across KiraÕs face in bright neon letters. She was going to be an aunt! Harumi stepped towards Kira supportively and held her arms out for her as she prepared to jump around in circles squealing. To HarumiÕs surprise Kira dropped to her knees and broke down in tears.  
  
ÒWhatÕs wrong Kira?Ó she asked as she kneeled down next to the smaller blonde who was clutching the test to her chest.  
  
ÒWhatÕs wrong Kira? ArenÕt you happy?Ó she asked as she knelt down beside Kira and placed one arm around her.  
  
After Kira stopped crying for a bit she wiped the tears from her cheeks and dried her hands on her t-shirt. ÒI canÕt have this baby,Ó Kira said strongly.  
  
ÒWhat do you mean? You think Rei will get angry if he found out or something?Ó Harumi asked although she couldnÕt imagine Rei getting upset over something they both had equal roles in.  
  
Kira simply shook her head against HarumiÕs shoulder. ÒNo itÕs not that, I know that Rei isnÕt like that. I just canÕt have the baby. IÕm not strong enough, IÕm not mother material. Besides all that we canÕt handle one right now. Rei works all day and night and barely has enough time to sleep at night simply to support me. I couldnÕt ask him to take care of a baby too.Ó  
  
ÒYou wont have to worry about that for another nine months,Ó Harumi insisted, Kira seemed so weak both mentally and physically that it caused her to worry that Kira might do something foolish. ÒReiÕs a good guy, heÕll understand everything and heÕll take care of it. YouÕre in love with each other, youÕll figure something out.Ó  
  
ÒI know he will, but I donÕt want him to end up hating me. He has everything, looks, charm, heÕs smart too. I feel like IÕm just weighing him down. HeÕd be so much better without me,Ó Kira complained, feeling like her heart was being torn to shreds. This sort of thing only seemed happened in books written to deter teens from having babies, Kira never thought that something like this could happen to them. ÒMaybe I can get rid of it before he notices... Pretend it never happened,Ó Kira said, her voice was frighteningly cool and relaxed.  
  
Harumi frowned slightly. ÒThatÕs no way to go about it Kira, if he found out you went and did that without talking with him about it heÕd be furious. Just promise me youÕll talk to him before you decide what you want to do about the baby. You never know having it could be a good thing.Ó  
  
ÒHey,Ó came the voice they both knew and loved. They were so wrapped up in their conversation they forgot that Rei was only working one shift today and didnÕt hear the front door creak open. ÒWhatÕs going on? Are you feeling any better Kira?Ó  
  
ÒHey Rei, how are you? I havenÕt seen you in ages,Ó Harumi said nervously as she went up to Rei, hoping to distract him while Kira got rid of the evidence. This was a bit hard for her considering that Rei was almost one foot taller than her.  
  
ÒIÕm good... um we saw each other two days ago at the video store. You come there every weekend,Ó Rei said as he scratched his head.  
  
ÒOh really... I forgot... Um, IÕll see you guys later! Bye Kira, bye Rei,Ó she said quickly as she dashed out of the door. It was extremely hard to be in the same room with him without spreading the news. Keeping secrets had never been one of her strong points.   
  
ÒIÕm home early, so what do you want to do today?Ó he asked, Rei was never the kind to just sit around the house all day doing nothing.  
  
KiraÕs heart was beating erratically. She didnÕt know how long she could go without telling him the news, but didnÕt want to let it go yet because she hadnÕt figured out the perfect way to break it to him. ÒAnything you come up with would be fine,Ó Kira replied half heatedly.  
  
Rei smiled at her and nodded. ÒI have the perfect place in mind. ItÕs the place where I found true love...Ó he said dreamily as though he was announcing the opening of a romantic movie.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
  
ÒAre we there yet?Ó Kira groaned as she allowed Rei to drag her down the street by the hand. She had to fight vigorously to shove thoughts of the baby growing inside her to the very back of her head. She decided that it would be best to wait until after they went to wherever he was dragging her.  
  
ÒA couple more blocks!Ó he insisted with a smug smile, squeezing her hand slightly. ÒCome on, I know that you can keep up with me,Ó he said playfully as he pulled her to him and placed an arm around her waist. He was an extremely good mood that day.  
  
She chuckled in response and leaned into his chest. ÒYou said we were a couple of blocks away fifteen minutes ago!Ó she replied, not having to pretend too much to be happy.  
  
ÒHere we are,Ó he said finally as he stopped outside of a large building. He stood with his feet wide and his hands planted firmly on his waist proudly as though he had built it himself.  
  
Kira looked up at the sign while holding her hands above her eyes to protect them from the brightly burning sun. ÒTokyo Fire BirdÕs Race Track...Ó she read, still not quite sure what they were doing here.  
  
ÒYeah, letÕs go in. I got us tickets for todayÕs race,Ó he told her, flashing two rectangular sheets of paper before leading her inside.  
  
Kira rolled her eyes at him. ÒA race track Rei? Why couldnÕt we have gone to an art expo or something...Ó  
  
ÒArt expoÕs are boring!Ó Rei joked before bending down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. ÒJust kidding, you know I love you.Ó  
  
Although Kira was a little upset with Rei she couldnÕt help but smile back at him because she knew it was true. SheÕd never really enjoyed watching races or sports and so she doubted that sheÕd have any fun here. She didnÕt complain any more though because she was content as long as Rei was happy. He deserved it after all the hours heÕd been putting in at work.  
  
After Rei satisfied himself at the concession stands they got seated in the front rows of the motorcycle racing ring.  
  
Kira looked left and right out of boredom, she wasnÕt really into racing. The people in the crowd varied greatly, there were large middle aged men in shirts that were too small, shorts that revealed too much with bottles of beer, there were also young women clad in the skimpiest of clothing cheering for their favorite racer and perhaps hoping for a chance to be invited to an after party, along with small families and boys with their fathers. ÒYou used to race motorcycles right?Ó she asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
ÒYeah, back in California and a bit here in Japan,Ó Rei replied as he watched the ring anxiously, waiting for the racers to get out there. ÒAfter we get settled and all that I want to return to the racing track,Ó he said confidently.  
  
Kira nodded, remembering Rei mentioning it one day in one of their sessions at the ward. She clamped her hands over her ears when they began to file out of the pits and line up at the starting line. She could have sworn that her eardrums would begin to bleed.  
  
Minutes later the announcer began to call out and the people in the surrounding crowd jumped out of their seats and waved flags and yelling in excitement.  
  
Rei however just stayed planted in his seat looking anxiously, as though he were out there himself. It made Kira sad to look at him, he seemed so lost in thought. Perhaps he felt trapped outside of the racing world and wished that he too was out there revving his bike. This made Kira feel sad too. Perhaps if it werenÕt for her heÕd be out there too.  
  
Out of nowhere one cyclist went spinning out of control and fell of of his bike. The other racers missed hitting him by an inch. Everyone jumped out of their seats, gasping with surprise.  
  
ÒNumber 13, Kentaro Akoshi, is out. The paramedics are rushing onto the scene,Ó said a loud booming voice over the loud speaker.  
  
Kira watched in horror as they lifted his limp body unto a stretcher and carried him away. She then turned her attention to Rei, who was keen on watching the other racers and didnÕt even seem to have noticed the one who fell off of his bike. Kira wondered if he rode like that too, not really caring for his safety or the safety of others and just racing. She hoped not. Seeing just how dangerous the world of racing was she selfishly felt relieved that Rei wasnÕt pursuing a racing career now. She got worried and anxious about his safety whenever he wasnÕt at her side. It would probably kill nervous system her to have him out on a racetrack.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
  
ÒWhatÕs the matter Kira?Ó Rei questioned as they walked home holding hands underneath the bright and full moon. It was a beautiful summer night.  
  
ÒHuh? What? Oh, itÕs nothing,Ó Kira replied with a faraway look in her eyes.  
  
ÒThat race was amazing. Did you see Hamizaka out there, he almost blew his front tire and still made it to first place. IÕm telling you heÕs one of the greatest racers out there,Ó Rei raved for the umpteenth time since they left the track. ÒHeÕd better watch out when I get out there though.Ó  
  
KiraÕs lips tightened. ÒWhat about the rider that fell? What will happen to him?Ó she asked softly, slightly frightened of the answer she may get in return.  
  
ÒI dunno, anything could happen. An injured spinal cord can mean paralyzation from the neck down, or depending on how he fell it could just be few a broken bones, or a fractured wrist, or a broken leg, or he may have to get something amputated,Ó Rei explained shrugging his shoulders. It didnÕt seem like heÕd given much thought to the fallen racer.  
  
ÒDonÕt you ever think about just how dangerous racing is?Ó Kira asked softly, trying not to sound confrontational. ÒI mean, anything could happen out there, you can fall and die in a split second...Ó Tears were welling up in her eyes.  
  
ÒI mean I guess so, but thatÕs just a small part of racing you know... ItÕs the feeling that I live for,Ó he explained. ÒWhy, what brought this up all of a sudden?Ó he asked as he looked down at her. ÒAre you crying?!Ó  
  
ÒNo, no itÕs nothing itÕs just that...Ó Kira began but couldnÕt quite finish. She knew that her time was coming up and that sheÕd have to tell him soon. Kira thought about holding off until she figured out the perfect way to break it to him, but then realized that no matter how she said it it meant the same thing.  
  
ÒKira, what is it?Ó Rei asked sounding mildly alarmed as he took her hands in his.  
  
She lifted her chin so that her eyes met his and fought the tears springing from the back of her eyes. ÒIÕm pregnant,Ó she finally explained, the tears breaking free and rolling down her cheeks and falling off of her chin. She silently prayed that heÕd be happy about it and make her feel better about it all.  
  
He dropped her hands out of shock and opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it. Having never been forced to respond to such a thing Rei didnÕt know how to react and so he did nothing.   
  
AuthorÕs Notes: IÕm sorry, another midbie length chapter. I updated quickly so, you canÕt really be angry about the length of the chapter. Yay, another monumental installment. KiraÕs pregnant! I bet that you guys werenÕt expecting that. See I put in some racing stuff! IÕm not too sure about whether or not Rei will get back out on the track... Let me know what you guys think? To race, or not to race that is the question... Please review, I spent forever trying to get this chapter up!!!  
  
Response to Reviews:  
  
Optical Illusions- Yay, IÕm glad that you liked the RxK fluff, when I saw the review notification I was getting ready to hold up my flame shield. Upper East Coast yay!!! ::Dances:: ::points to my I heart NYC t-shirt:: IÕm hoping that this chapter was lengthy review worthy. IÕll see you in the next chapter. ::Gives a silver sticker::  
  
man- Perhaps itÕs not as difficult as I thought it was... IÕm pleased with the feedback I got so maybe IÕll write another one sometime ::Nods head:: Yeah IÕd like to see you write a Mars lemon, there arenÕt enough of them around here. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea... but IÕve got other plans for the story ::points up:: Maybe IÕll make a one shot about that or something ::shrugs:: I think that this is the longest review IÕve gotten from you so far ::hands a gold sticker::  
  
MoonMaiden625- ::Bows:: ItÕs good to know that IÕm a decent lemon writer. Yeah itÕll be pretty explosive when both sides find out about what happened etc. IÕll see you in the next chapter.  
  
Kitsunia- Yeah see, surprise number one ::points up:: and I have a few more up my sleeve. I think this story will be about 23-25 chapters long. Thanks again for reviewing.  
  
verauko- Gaah! You ask for more! So demanding! Marriage maybe later... IÕm not sure. Baby, ::points up:: You read my mind. Remember itÕs not all about the cutesy stuff (I like torturing my favorite couple), so there will be a lot of rough times ahead with them. Thanks for the review!  
  
Thanks to everyone else who reviewed! 


	17. Misunderstandings

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
A/N- Hey there, I'm super sorry about taking so long to update, almost a month huh? I've had some personal and family problems to sort out etc. The end of the year is almost here and there are a lot of state tests and finals I have to do so I mightn't be able to update for a month or so. I hope to update the other MARS fic soon. If I get a beta-reader volunteer I may be able to update twice a month because although I may finish writing a chapter in two or three days, I usually take a long time going over it and making sure that it's fit to post. Anyways, on with the story:  
  
Kira stared up at him expectantly as tears of grief began to well up in her large brown eyes. "Rei?" she pleaded, begging for a response of some kind. It was as though time was standing completely still and it felt like a jagged dagger was being rammed into her heart. After staring up at his stunned face she could hold back the tears no more and they began to run down her cheeks.  
  
Rei shoved his hands into his jacket pocket and looked down at his scruffy shoes for a while. "I have to clear my head... I'll see you when I get home," he replied, sounding weak and choked up.  
  
Kira watched as he turned away from her, walked down the street and turned the corner, his steps slow and deliberate. She didn't know what to feel, other than heartbroken, and turned away and began her journey home.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
  
"What do you mean he just stood there?" Harumi gaped, furrying her eyebrows. Heat began to rise to her cheeks in fury.  
  
Kira dug the spoon into the one gallon container of double chocolate ice cream and brought it to her lips. The cool spoon felt very relaxing against her tongue and it was pure euphoria as the ice-cream melted in her mouth and slithered down her parched throat. She nodded weakly in response.  
  
Harumi rolled her eyes dramatically. "I can't believe he did that! He's such an asshole," she snapped, followed by incoherent grumbles.  
  
"Don't say that Harumi, it was my fault. I'm not the best at delivering news like that. Perhaps I should have used a different approach," Kira suggested as she swallowed another mouthful of ice cream. She glanced over at the round black and white clock above the stove and sighed. "It's ten o'clock and he's still not home..."  
  
Harumi turned in her seat to see for herself, it was always a cause for worry when the man of the house stayed out so late.  
  
"Where do you think he went?" Kira questioned, a bit afraid of what the answer may be. She remembered when her mother complained about her stepfather staying out until late and her aunts telling her that he was probably sleeping with other women. "You don't think that he'd..."  
  
"No no, never. He may be an asshole but I don't think that he's a jackass too," Harumi replied quickly.  
  
Kira was about to ask about the difference between a jackass and an asshole but then thought better of it. "I hope not... But if only you saw the look on his face. He was smiling one moment and then the next, completely blank. I couldn't tell if he was happy, sad, upset or angry... I just wish that he'd give me a sign or something you know? What do I do when he comes back home?" she asked, figuring that Harumi had more experience with men than she did.  
  
"Hmm... maybe you should just lay off unless he brings it up?" she suggested with a shrug.  
  
Kira looked up at Harumi from the brim of the ice cream container nervously.  
  
"Kira your legs are shaking! Maybe you should get some rest?" Harumi told her, pulling the container of ice cream and placing the cover on it.  
  
Kira frowned slightly as she watched Harumi place her comforting ice cream in the freezer. "Off to bed, you need to rest!" Harumi told her best friend firmly.  
  
She nodded and walked over to the bed, dragging her feet to show Harumi that she was unhappy about being sent to bed before Rei got home.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
  
Harumi's head shot up from the kitchen table when she heard keys jingling outside the front door. She glanced over at Kira, hoping that she hadn't been woken up by the noise and then walked over to the door and opened it.  
  
Rei stared at her for a while, saying nothing and expressing no change in facial expression. "What are you doing here so late... or uh early?" he asked, sounding stressed out and frustrated.  
  
"I was keeping Kira company. She stayed up waiting for you until midnight. You had her worried, where were you, why didn't you call?" she lectured, stepping aside so that he could step in. "Be quiet, don't wake her up. I don't want her to find out about what time you walked in, it would break her heart."  
  
Rei rolled his eyes dramatically and ran a hand through his hair for added effect. "I've had enough lectures for one night, I don't need any more bullshit from you Harumi," he said with a heavy sigh.  
  
She snorted in reply, but didn't ask about where the prior lecturing came from. "Whatever, just be good to her okay? If you break her heart I'll kick your ass," she warned.  
  
"Yeah yeah, whatever," he said, brushing her off. He'd never really been one to take threats seriously. He'd gotten used to them in junior high school, he'd flirt with the popular guy's girlfriend and get cornered after school for doing so, always coming out the victor.  
  
After Harumi left he took a quick shower and walked over to the bed, hesitating to join Kira. For some reason he began to feel unworthy of sleeping in the same bed as she did. He knew that he could have handled the situation better... but he had grown accustomed to running away from his problems. He contemplated it in his mind for a while, but since there was no place else he crawled in behind her, his body feeling tense and rigid. To his surprise she turned to face him and nuzzled her head in his chest. Not knowing what else to do and perhaps out of habit he wrapped his arms around her and let out a sigh of relief. He feared that she'd never speak to him again.  
  
"Welcome home," she whispered.  
  
He didn't say anything for a while, he didn't know how to respond. While he was on his way home he was preparing to be ambushed with aggression and anger and only knew how to be defensive.  
  
"Are you still mad at me?!" she asked worriedly, pulling away to look up at him, her tears welling up again in her eyes.  
  
"No, I was never angry with you," he told her truthfully. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't know what to say or how to react."  
  
She nodded and placed her head on his bare chest once more. "I should have said it differently instead of springing it on you like that. I'm sorry."  
  
"You have nothing to apologize about. I was the one that was an ass. You seem tired, you should get some sleep. We'll talk more about what we'll do about the baby in the morning okay?" he said as he began to close his eyes.  
  
Kira's lips formed a frown, it felt like everyone was always trying to tell her what to do. Back at home, the ward, here with Rei. She was never in charge and everybody treated her like she was weak and fragile. After glancing at Rei in his deep nd peaceful sleep she couldn't help but be happy and so she let those thoughts sift through her mind and fell asleep too.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
  
Rei awoke to the beautiful aroma of french toast and a smile on his face. It was amazing how she always found a way to wake up early and make breakfast no matter how sick she was or how tired. He truly admired her for that.  
  
"Good morning Kira," he murmured, still sleepy from staying out so late.  
  
She whipped around and looked at him as she stood over the stove in her apron. "Good morning Rei," she replied with a smile.  
  
He walked over and kissed her briefly before sitting down at the table. "How are you feeling?" he questioned as he watched her fix him a plate of breakfast.  
  
"I'm just fine," she lied, neglecting to tell him about how she woke up at four in the morning and threw up and not being able to fall asleep again or how the smell of the toast make her sick. "How about you? Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty refreshed," he answered, hovering his fork over the food and savoring the smell alone before cutting off a piece and devouring it. The toast was gone within minutes.  
  
"Was it good? We ran out of syrup so I tried something new with honey," she told him.  
  
"Oh yeah?" he asked. "It was good, sweeter than the regular one. You should make it wit honey more often."  
  
She nodded and was quiet for a while. The silence between them was very awkward. "Can I talk to you about something?" she questioned.  
  
"Sure, what's on your mind?" he asked, sliding his plate to the side of the table.  
  
"I was thinking that it would be best for us if I got a part time job," Kira said firmly deciding that she wouldn't be deterred from getting a job.  
  
"What? Why? You're pregnant, you're in no shape to be working. I promised I'd provide for you and I will. I already started looking for another job, one that would pay me more," Rei said, sounding just as determined as she was.  
  
"That's not fair Rei. When I stay home al day and wait for you to come home I feel so useless, like a pile of extra baggage. I want to feel needed, I want to feel like I bring something to the table you know?" she pleaded as she reached out for Rei's hand and took it in hers. "Please?"  
  
He frowned deeply, but could see just how bad she wanted the job. "Fine, whatever." He figured that she'd be discouraged by the time her first week of working is over and so he decided not to fight it any more. "I've got to go," e said, letting go of her hand and standing up.  
  
"But today's your day off," she whined, hoping that they'd be able to do something together. She missed the days when he'd visit her in the ward, or would take her out to meet his friends or eat out and visit parks. Now it seemed like they only saw each other in passing.  
  
"I know, but I've got something to take care of," he told her, knowing that she'd want to know more.  
  
"Like what, can I come?" she asked, hoping he'd say yes.  
  
"No, it's... uhh... you just can't. I'll be home before dark," he said quickly before escaping to the bathroom.  
  
Kira got up and began to clean up the kitchen, although she was excited about starting her search for a job, she was upset that Rei seemed to be hiding something from her.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
  
"Back again Young Sir?" the butler asked as he watched Rei step into the lobby of his father's mansion, stifling a laugh.  
  
"Where's the old man?" Rei asked, not really interested in taking any of the butler's crap.  
  
"He's upstairs in his office," he replied, motioning to the marble stairs ahead.  
  
Rei nodded and walked up the stairs. When he finally made it to the office, which was on the end of a long and somewhat dark hallway he stood outside for a moment, gathering his wits. He wanted to appear strong and determined in front of his father, for he was like an animal and smelt fear and devoured it.  
  
"How may I... Oh, it;s just you. You're crawling back just as I thought you would. Things not so good out there in the real world? Can't handle it? I told you that moving out and not graduating was a big mistake. You of course didn't listen to me. Once more you've underestimated your mortality and it kicked you in the ass. So tell me Rei, what's brought you back here?" his father began as he turned to face Rei in his large black leather chair.  
  
Just in one breath his father belittled himself enough to make Rei feel like a six year old. Rei released a puff of hot air, trying desperately to keep his cool and to act like an adult. "My girlfriend Kira is pregnant. I need financial advice so I can afford to get her a doctor, move into a better home. I know that it was very irresponsible to get her pregnant at a time like this, before we're settled and what not, but I love her. I'm going to stay by her and take care of our child," he said strongly.  
  
To Rei's surprise his father nodded, he was expecting more of a chuckle, or an 'I told you so.' "I'll help you. It makes me happy to see you being so responsible about it. I can't guarantee that everything will work out. If you thought that making ends meet was difficult with the two of you, it'll be four times as hard with a baby in the picture. There are other alternatives..."  
  
"No. We're keeping and raising the baby," Rei said strongly. He wouldn't consider killing the baby (A/N- I'm not against abortions just so everybody knows, this is just his opinion), and he knew what it was like to not feel wanted and didn't want his child to feel that way with adopted or foster parents.  
  
"Fine, if that's what you think will be best then it's fine by me also. Let's start with..."  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
  
"Hey Harumi!" Kira squealed excitedly into the phone when her friend finally picked up.  
  
"Hey girl, what's up. You seem happy," she replied with relief, for she feared that things with Rei would go badly.  
  
"He said I could get a job!" she replied. "Isn't that great?"  
  
"What, a job? What about the baby? Do you think that you can handle working while being pregnant?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"Ugh, you're just like Rei. He said the same thing. You people underestimate me," Kira whined. "I can do it, I want to do it."  
  
"Alright, I have faith in you. So, what kind of job were you thinking of pressing?" Harumi asked, trying her best to sound supportive all though deep down she was against it.  
  
Kira let out a chuckle. "I've never really thought about it. Anything would be fine with me really."  
  
"Oh, hey why don't you work with me at Mc Donald's! It would be fun, I promise!" she insisted, all of a sudden getting excited. The thought of them working side by side, sounded fun.  
  
"Yeah, that does sound fun. Do you think that your boss will hire me?" she questioned, suddenly feeling self conscious and doubting herself.  
  
"Yes, yes of course. The fry cook before was just fired so he's looking for a new hand. He'd hire you in a heart beat. Hey, why don't you come down tomorrow after I introduce him to the idea today?" Harumi suggested.  
  
"Sure, that sounds great," Kira said, excited by the possibility of working with her best friend. She couldn't wait for Rei to get home, she was sure that he'd be proud of her if she really got the job.  
  
"Well look, I've got to go. I'll call you tonight," Harumi said quickly before shutting her cell phone.  
  
Authors Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and once more I apologize for the long wait! This chapter was a bit jumpy, perhaps jagged around the edges too. If it sucked really bad then tell me and I'll redo it and replace it. Nothing really big happened in this chapter, but don't worry there's a lot of good stuff coming up. Please review! 


	18. Visiting Old Friends

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Rei almost stumbled backwards from surprise when Kira greeted him by pouncing on him and hugging him tightly. "Wow, welcome home to you too..." Rei said jokingly. "What's the occasion?" he asked as he walked with her on his back to the bed, dropping his jacket and kicking off his shoes on the way there.  
  
"I might get a job working with Harumi at McDonalds!" she squealed when he threw her onto the bed. When she stopped bouncing he leaned over and placed a hand on either side of her, pinning her to the bed.  
  
"Yeah?" he said smooth and seductively. He gazed at Kira with sexy half shut eyelids.  
  
Kira smiled up at him and giggled in reply. He kissed her passionately on the lips and then a placed a few on her cheeks and neck, then rolled to the side and held her closely  
  
"Is something wrong?" Kira asked, frowning slightly as she looked up at him in his arms.  
  
"Huh.. oh, it's nothing," he lied, not wanting to admit how upset he was over having to go back to his father for financial help.  
  
"Are you sure? I feel a bit selfish lately... we're always talking about me. Before now you always visited me at the ward, you work so hard so I can live comfortably, now it's all about me and the baby..." she rambled on, looking up at Rei with worried eyes.  
  
"Don't worry about it Kira. Making you happy makes me happy." he told her before drifting off to sleep.  
  
Kira stared at her beloved for a while longer before falling asleep herself.  
  
next scene  
  
Rei awoke to the regular smell of freshly cooked breakfast. He floated over to the kitchen table and sat down in one of the metal folding chairs. "G'morning," he said groggily.  
  
"Good morning Rei. Did you sleep well?" she asked, her voice dripping with the sweetness of honey.  
  
"Yeah," he lied, the truth was that he spent most of the night turning from side to side and worrying about their future. Things outside of their relationship weren't going half as well as he thought they would go. Last week he got mailed a letter from the telephone company, threatening to cut off their service. However he didn't have the heart to ask Kira not to make so many calls to Harumi, especially since she was stuck at home and alone all day. Every now and then he'd wish that he'd listened to the advice of his father. "How did you sleep?"  
  
"Oh!" she said after a long pause, she was so wrapped up in washing the dishes in the sink that she didn't even hear what he said. "Not too well. I was too excited about this morning! I've never been to an interview before," she explained.  
  
"Oh." He completely forgot that she was going for a job at McDonalds. "Good luck."  
  
"Thanks, I'll need it!" she replied as she wiped her hands with the dish washing cloth. "How do I look?" Kira questioned, stepping in front of the window and twirling around for Rei to see her entire outfit. "Does it look like something someone perfect for a job at McDonalds would wear?"  
  
Rei looked her over, scanning his eyes from her recently washed white canvas tennis shoes, ankle socks, knee length khaki shorts and a white short sleeved polo t-shirt. "Yeah, definitely," he told her, although he didn't see why one would need to dress a certain way to get a job as a fry cook.  
  
"You think so?" she asked, running her hands up and down her shorts to make sure that they were the appropriate length.  
  
"You look fine," he said, hoping that she wouldn't ask him again.  
  
"I love you, I'll be back in a few hours," she said quickly as she walked over and kissed his cheek before skipping out of the door.  
  
A pang of pain was felt in his heart when he heard the door swing shut. He had grown so accustomed to having her watch him walk out of the door as he went on his way to work.  
  
Kira couldn't stifle the wide grin that was forming on her face as she walked down the stairs of her apartment building. Even if she didn't get the job it still felt good to get out of the house and go after something she truly wanted.  
  
"Hey, I was just coming to get you," Harumi said as she spotted Kira from her car parked in front of the nearest fire hydrant.  
  
Kira looked over her shoulder at Harumi. "Oh, hey!" she replied with a wave. "I wasn't expecting you to come and drive me to the interview," Kira told her as she made her way to the passenger's side of the car.  
  
"Yeah well, I was on my way to work any ways so I just figured that I'd pick you up," she explained as she swept her hair to the side and slid her round dark sunglasses further up her nose.  
  
"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Kira said with a nod as she snapped her seat belt into place.  
  
"So how is Rei about this?" Harumi questioned, pulling out of her parking spot and driving up to the stop sign.  
  
Kira stopped to think about it for a while. Although he told her that he was fine with it she never really wondered how he felt about her working deep down. "I guess that he's fine," she said shyly. "I mean he said that he didn't mind but he seemed really quiet about it."  
  
Harumi nodded silently. "I see. I guess that he'll have to be okay with you working. A girl needs a little independence right?" she suggested, glancing over her shoulder at Kira.  
  
Kira simply nodded in response. The rest of the ride was in silence.  
  
A few minutes later they pulled into the customer parking lot of the McDonalds and made their way through the golden double arches and the front door. Inside was bustling with business. Business men and women came in with full wallets and out with cups of coffee and bags of breakfast sandwiches. The people working behind the counter were just as industrious, handing out change, turning around to retrieve food, bagging it and handing it over. Kira was beginning to question if she could work in such a busy place especially because she had no previous working experience.  
  
"Getting cold feet?" Harumi whispered, leading Kira to the "employee's only entrance" and waving to a few of her coworkers.  
  
Heat from the embarrassment flushed her face, if Harumi could tell that she was scared then wouldn't the boss also be able to smell her fear? Why couldn't she be a bit more like Rei and walk in there with confidence and self assurance?  
  
"You'll do fine, don't worry about it hun," she said enthusiastically as she opened a door and gently pushed Kira through it. The last thing Kira saw of the outside world before her interview began were Harumi's thumb's up.  
  
Next Scene-  
  
When Kira walked into the darkened apartment the first thing she did was feel around for the light switch. Back at home she had bad experiences from walking into darkened rooms. "Rei, are you here?" she called, he said that he'd be home all day. Eventually she found the switch and locked the door behind her. Kira smiled gently when she spotted his lean and long lanky frame laying on their bed.  
  
"There you are," she said softly as she walked over to him and laid a hand on his thigh.  
  
His eyes fluttered open and he cast her a side ways glance. He looked over at the clock before looking at her again. "You just got in?" he asked, sounding a bit annoyed.  
  
Kira glanced at her watch and frowned slightly, it was eight o'clock, hours after she promised she'd be home. "I'm sorry. It's just that I..."  
  
"Never mind. I don't care," he replied quickly as he turned away from her. "Did you get that job you wanted?"  
  
She kicked off her shoes and slipped into the bed behind him and wrapped her arms around his body. "Yup," she said happily. "I start tomorrow at eleven. The same shift as Harumi," Kira explained softly, hoping to improve his mood.  
  
"That's nice..."  
  
"Why are you so upset Rei? I said I was sorry about being late," Kira asked worriedly, they'd never gotten into an argument before and it made her feel sick when he was angry with her.  
  
"I'm not upset... It's just that I waited around for you, and you said you'd be home early. I thought that something happened to you, because you were so late and didn't call," he replied. "I was worried."  
  
"I said I was sorry Rei," Kira said as she slipped her arms from around him as she felt heat build up in her cheeks. "I thought you'd be happy for me. I wanted something and went out of got it," she added.  
  
"I am happy for you. Maybe just not... Maybe I'm just not used to the idea of you working," he explained, still with his back to Kira. "I'm worried about you and when you start to show your boss will probably try to fire you. Or something else unpleasant can happen and I don't want you to be sad."  
  
Kira smiled a bit, she liked it when he played the roll of the overly protective boyfriend. "That's sweet Rei," she joked as she ran her fingers up and down his bare back causing him to tense underneath her fingers.  
  
Rei quickly turned to face her, his legs getting tangled between the white sheets. "No it's not okay. You shouldn't have to work to help pay the bills. I promised to take care of you and I feel like I've failed," he said angrily.  
  
"No you haven't Rei. I'm happy when I'm with you. It doesn't matter how much I have to work, or where we live, or any of that other stuff. As long as I'm with you I'm fine," she said honestly as she nuzzled her head into his chest. His body was so warm compared to hers, it seemed to radiate from his chest.  
  
"I know but still..." he began, but was cut off by Kira.  
  
"I love you, no buts," she said strongly.  
  
Rei couldn't help but smile, he loved it when she was aggressive. He rolled over so that he was on top of Kira.  
  
"What are you doing?" she questioned, she was very confused. They were in the middle of an argument-type thing.  
  
He kissed her lips to silence her questioning and kissed her neck and chest. "Make up sex," he replied quickly.  
  
She giggled and shook her head at him. "You're hopeless!"  
  
"You're beautiful, I love you Kira," he replied.  
  
Next Scene-  
  
They both laid awake and exhausted. Kira laid her head on his damp chest and listened to his strong and steady unchanging heart beat. It was a relaxing rhythm that she'd grown accustomed to, like a lullaby.  
  
Rei took his hand and laid it on her stomach. "Daddy Rei, I like the sound of that. Don't you?" he said, not really asking because he expected her to agree.  
  
Kira nodded, hiding the fact that deep down she still doubted that she'd be capable of being a good mother to her child. "Sounds great."  
  
"Yeah, I've never really thought of what kind of dad I'd be... I hope we have a boy though. We could go out to the track together, play baseball and basketball, pick up girls at the mall," he joked, earning him a poke in the ribs.  
  
"Why can't you do the those things with a girl? There are girl bikers, baseball and basketball players and uh I guess you could give her guy advice or girl advice if she's a lesbian..." Kira began, but then stopped due to the other thoughts clouding her mind.  
  
"Yeah but guys are less complicated you know?"  
  
Kira rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever, girls are cuter. You can do their hair, dress them up, get them ready for prom, weddings," she said, her confidence in parenting increasing bit by bit as she grew more excited about having a child.  
  
"Ugh, all those frills, it's annoying and unnecessary. Girls get all that emotional pms and whatnot," he retorted.  
  
"I stand my ground," she said simply, placing her hand over Rei's much larger and slightly callused ones.  
  
"As I do mine," he said as he held her closer. "If it came out as a girl I'd love it all the same, but guys rock. I just have this feeling you know?"  
  
Kira smiled at how enthusiastic and excited he was about this.  
  
"It would have my nose, my baby blues, my long and beautiful golden tresses, my height if it's a boy yours... naah if she had my height she'd get my lovely long legs, my physique, and oh your ears..."  
  
"What!? All it gets is my ears?!" she exclaimed. "No fair Rei, what are you trying to say?"  
  
"Nothing, I'm just hoping that the baby gets my good looks,"he said smoothly.  
  
"What, so I'm unattractive?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I mean you're beautiful... but a bit mousy in looks? How tall are you 4'8?" he questioned.  
  
"I'm 5'1 thank you very much!" she retorted, poking him once more in the ribs.  
  
"Still on the short side none the less. No girl is going to want to go out with a guy that height!" Rei complained, trying vehemently to defend himself.  
  
"I'd still love you if you were a foot shorter," Kira said.  
  
"Whatever, if I were that short..."  
  
"I'm not short," she said, cutting him off. "I'm petite in stature."  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah, say whatever you wish... Any ways if I were 'petite in stature' I'd lock my self away..." he stopped when he realized that Kira ell asleep.  
  
As she slept he looked her over, his eyes lingering on her wrists, still branded with the self inflicted slash marks. Although it pained him to look at them it made his heart happy that none of them were fresh.  
  
---------  
  
The golden liquid sunlight poured in through the slits of the vertical blinds and assaulted Rei's eyes. He squinted and felt around for the body of his significant other. He ran his hands over the unoccupied area of the bed and then sat upright and looked around frantically for Kira.  
  
"Kira!?" he called, his voice escaping as a high pitched yelp. The smell of freshly made pancakes and eggs didn't float about the apartment and he didn't hear the water running in the bathroom. Had he woken up too late? he wondered as he glanced at the bedside table. A sheet of white paper caught his eyes and he stepped closer to inspect it.  
  
Rei-  
Hey, I left about 8 am, you're off and you looked so sweet sleeping, I didn't have the heart to wake you. Breakfast and lunch are in the fridge. I'll be home at 7 (I promise). Wish me luck!!!  
  
I'll miss and love you, Kira  
  
Despite how happy Kira was with her new job he felt empty. There was nothing worse than waking up in an empty bed after growing accustomed to waking up with your arms tightly wrapped around the body of the one you love. An airy sigh escaped Rei's full lips and he crumpled up the note and threw it towards the nearby wastepaper basket, but missed. The thought of walking over to the basket and disposing of the paper properly crossed his mind but he decided to inspect the food he was left to eat while Kira was away.  
  
Having to serve his own breakfast and lunch slightly depressed him. He really enjoyed being taken care of. Perhaps it was because he never had a mother to spoil an pamper him the way Kira did. He reluctantly opened the fridge and scanned over the items in it. Kira did all the shopping and cooking so he rarely had reason to peruse the fridge. There were bottles of water, orange juice, freshly pureed vegetable and fruit juices. A smile spread across his face. It was ironic that a healthy food freak like Kira was working at a fast food restaurant. He decided that he'd have to tease her about it later. He laughed about when he realized that all his thoughts seemed to lead back to Kira. He then popped the plastic plates of perfectly rounded and fluffy pancakes and scrambled eggs in the microwave he strolled over to the open window.  
  
Time seemed to be slowing down in pace for after scanning the street below and getting bored of the occasional pedestrian when he glanced back at the microwave timer and only a minute and a half passed. Was this what it would always be like in Kira's absence?  
  
The buzzing noise made by the microwave alerted him that the food was ready sounded as heavenly as an angels harp to Rei's starving stomach.  
  
When he was through eating he decided to visit an old friend.  
  
"How are we doing so far?" Harumi asked as she retrieved a burger and fries for a customer.  
  
Kira looked from the impatient customer in front of her, o her hungry children, cash register and back to Harumi. "Um, okay I guess..." she mumbled.  
  
"No, she's not okay!" exclaimed the belligerent woman as she placed her hands on her broad hips haughtily. "I've been waiting twenty damn minutes for my McChicken and large fries!" she hollered.  
  
"Yeah, my lunch break is almost over and I've been waiting since eleven thirty!" complained a tall suited man with jelled back jet black hair as he fiddled with his PDA.  
  
Kira looked flustered as she glanced around, praying that somebody would help her..  
  
"I've got it. Why don't you get a mop? I'll take over register duty," Harumi said almost as though she'd read Kira's thoughts.  
  
Kira nodded gratefully as she slunk away to the back and away from the angry customers. As she searched for a mop and bucket she wondered if she'd ever be an good at her job. Harumi made managing the register look easy as she effortlessly took money as she handed out meals, and change while managing to offer fries and super sized orders.  
  
"Hey man!" Tatsuya exclaimed as he threw his arms open and stepped forward to hug Rei.  
  
Rei smiled as he stepped away from him and slapped hands instead. "I've got a girlfriend remember?" he joked as he invited himself inside Tatsuya's small condominium.  
  
Tatsuya playfully shoved Rei in response. "So what brings you here? I haven't seen or heard from you since graduation!" he added as he carefully looked Rei over. Although he looked the same there was something different about his attitude.  
  
"Ah, nothing really. I was in the neighborhood," he answered smoothly. He stood close to the door next to the fire mantle. He enviously examined each picture as he tried to imagine himself in place of Tatsuya in the family photos. He couldn't really remember any happy childhood moments for he spent most of his childhood in the hospital visiting his sick mother  
  
"Yeah, sure Rei. Were you really thaaat lonely? Where was the wifey?" Tatsuya asked as he flopped unto his parent's leather couch.  
  
"Yes, yes it's true! I was so bored. Kira's got a job now and wont be back 'till 7!" Rei complained as he joined his companion on the couch.  
  
"Wow, a job? Where's she working?" he asked.  
  
"Miccy D's with Harumi."  
  
"You don't sound too happy about her new job," Tatsuya said curiously.  
  
Rei rolled his eyes and ran his long fingers through his dirty blonde tresses. "It's not that I'm against her working. It's just that she's pregnant you know so she should be resting and all that... I can't stop her or even try to talk her out of it because well she wants to work and we need the extra money badly," Rei said uneasily.  
  
"Yeah? Like how badly? Isn't your dad a millionaire or something?" Tatsuya asked as he leaned forward with his hands on his chin and elbows on his knees.  
  
Rei snorted and sunk deeper into his seat. "Real bad. Our phone line is this close,," he measured it with his pointer finger and thumb, "to having the phone service removed. Kira's been using it all night and day and I can't say anything because first of all it's embarrassing and secondly she's home alone all the time so it wouldn't be fair to her,"he complained as he aggressively shoved the hair from his face.  
  
"Why don't you ask Daddy Money Bags for cash?" Tatsuya suggested as he stroked the fine whiskers growing above his lip.  
  
Rei let out a loud laugh. "Ha, that's only if I'm on the street, stark naked, starving and festering!" Rei exclaimed as he threw his head back with laughter. He had to clutch his stomach to catch his breath.  
  
"Whatever man, but if I had your dad I'd suck up like crazy so I can get one of those fancy smancy executive jobs. Not only is it good pay but it's a secure job since your pa is running the business. Think of the benefits Rei. You want to be able to give your child the world don't you?" Tatsuya explained, his eyes begging Rei to be serious and agree with him.  
  
Rei nodded solemnly. "I've already thought about that. I went to see my father right after I found out about the baby. He suggested that I go live with him, study to take a business test so I can work with him and eventually take over."  
  
"What does Kira think of this idea?" he asked.  
  
"She doesn't know about it yet..." Rei answered as he let out a depressed sigh. "I didn't think that things would get this complicated."  
  
Tatsuya frowned and leaned back in his chair wishing he could find a way to help his friend.  
  
A/N- Hey thanks for reading this far. I'm sorry about the spastic updates. Summer vacation is coming soon and hopefully I'll be able to update regularly. Yay, this was a long chapter!!! ::feels proud:: Please, please, please review! They make me so happy! To those who reviewed for the last chapter ::throws kisses:: 


	19. Gone

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
In this chapter-  
  
When she opened the door she was slightly disheartened to discover that she'd be home alone. Rei wasn't working today and she expected him to be home when she got back. After having such a terrible first day she was hoping to be cheered up by Rei. In a way, she was happy that he wasn't around. She didn't want to have to admit that he was right and that she was wrong. Perhaps she should have listened to him when he told her how hard working really was.  
  
She arched her back and stretched her tense muscles as she headed towards the bathroom to take a long and relaxing bath.  
  
Minutes later she stepped out of the bathroom, her freshly showered body was clad in black and white track-shorts and a long white t-shirt that probably belonged to Rei. As she raised the towel in her hand to her long and very damp blonde hair she heard the jingling of keys outside the door. She walked over, peeked through the small peep hole in the door and then opened it.  
  
"Hey," he greeted her, giving her a smile that took all of his energy to produce. The long day of discussing serious future changing issues in his life with Tatsuya had him completely worn out.  
  
She stepped away from the door, allowing Rei to enter and then closed the door behind him. "How was your day?" she asked him as she followed him to the kitchen. He usually hugged, kissed her or had something humorous to tell her. She didn't really considered it her business, but she was hoping he'd tell her where'd he'd been all day.  
  
"It was... uh fine. How was you're first day of work?" he asked distractedly as he stood before the open fridge and skimmed the shelves for something remotely appetizing.  
  
Kira took in a deep breath and looked down at her bare feet. "Not so good," she replied sadly as she walked across the wooden floors and over to the bed they shared. "It was horrible," she furthered.  
  
"Yeah? Was it that bad?" he asked, immediately feeling guilty about expecting so little from her aspiring career.  
  
She nodded in fear that if she opened her mouth to speak that she'd start choking back the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes as she remembered just how disastrous the day really was.  
  
When Rei came and sat down next to her she rested her head on Rei's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" he questioned as he placed an arm around her waist.  
  
Kira sighed softly. "It was that bad... First of all the kitchen area made me never want to eat McDonalds again. Everything's all frozen, processed and gross. At least when your on the other side of the counter you can pretend that having one of those grilled chicken sandwiches is really healthy. Then the customers, come lunch time they get really antsy and everyone's always in a rush. I don't think I'll ever be able to keep up."  
  
"Don't say that," Rei said. "You'll get the hang of it soon enough."  
  
"No I wont. I'm horrible!" she protested, lifting her head to look up at him. "You know what I did most of my shift other than messing up at the cash register? I mopped the floor... It seems like that's the only thing I'm good at; house work."  
  
"That's not true Kira. You're good at a lot of things," Rei negated. He laid back on the bed with his hands behind his head.  
  
"Is that so?" she replied, looking down at him.  
  
He simply nodded his head, glancing from the ceiling to Kira, then back to the ceiling again. "It is. You're good at being beautiful," he joked, reaching out for her arms and pulling her down to him.  
  
Kira rolled her eyes although she was smiling. "Don't say whatever's most convenient," she told him.  
  
He kissed the top of her head gently. "I'm serious, you are beautiful. I dunno, I'm not too good with pretty words. Having you around makes me happy. I love you... That's all that matters right?"  
  
"Hmm... yeah, I guess," she replied softly. The truth was, she wasn't sure that loving each other was going to get them through life, especially with a baby on the way. Every now and then she'd question weather moving in with Rei was such a good idea and if he'd do better without her there.  
  
The next morning Kira woke up alone in the bed with her legs tangled up in the sheets. She sat up and ran a hand through her tangled treses and looked around the small apartment, she could see every corner of the apartment from her perch. She felt guilty for waking up so late. She felt that it was her duty to make him breakfast and lunch each day since she couldn't contribute much financially.  
  
She decided that to make up for not bidding him goodbye in the morning she'd make him a romantic dinner. She quickly made the bed and got cleaned up and ready to go to the store to buy meat and vegetables for dinner. Upon exiting the bathroom after a quick shower she heard the high pitched ring of the phone.  
  
"Hello?" she greeted the person on the other line.  
  
"I knew you'd be here. Do you know how long it took me to get in touch with you?" said her stepfather, his voice calm, cool and collected.  
  
Kira almost dropped the phone in shock.  
  
"Don't sound so surprised dearest. I have my sources too. So how's you're new job at McDonalds?" he questioned, trying to make polite conversation.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked angrily, her voice trembling dangerously. Her unsteady hand was rattling the reciever against the side of her head.  
  
"I want you to come home, where you belong. Believe me Kira, I know what I want, and I get what I want. I'm coming for you Kira, and you're little boyfriend Rei will pay dearly for all the trouble he's caused me. If you tell anyone else about this conversation, especially that bastard Rei things are going to get a lot worse than originally planned. I'll be seeing you soon Kira, very soon," he said cryptically before hanging up the phone.  
  
Kira dropped the receiver and stumbled backwards, grasping the nearby kitchen chair. It felt like her worst nightmare was coming true. She'd been as happy as a clam in her days living here with Rei, she hadn't worried about her stepfather once although she suspected all along that he'd find a way to upset the peace. She ran a frustrated hand through her thick and unwashed hair. Kira had no idea what she'd do when he came for her and knew she couldn't tell Rei because he had enough on his mind.  
  
The next few hours felt like watching a movie in fast forward and Kira was in a worried daze. She gave herself a migraine thinking of all the possibilities. The sharp ring of the doorbell tore through her deep thoughts bringing her back to the present. She tiptoed to the front door in fear that her stepfather would be standing on the other side of the door. To her relief it was Rei, the only person who make her feel safe.  
  
"What took you so long to answer the door?" Rei questioned when she finally let him inside.  
  
"Don't you have a key?" she asked playfully, trying desperately to make sure that he didn't realize that she was upset about something.  
  
"Yeah I do, but I like being greeted," he replied simply as he strolled over to the kitchen and peeked into the pots and pans on the stove to see what would be served for dinner.  
  
Kira almost slapped herself when she realized that she'd forgotten to make dinner. "I am sooo sorry!" she exclaimed a she rushed to the fridge, hoping to be able to whip something up quickly. To her great disdain she found nothing at all, she hadn't been to the grocers in weeks.  
  
"Nothing to eat!?" he cried out as he grasped his stomach and sunk down to the floor and began gasping for air. "Need food!"  
  
Kira looked down at him as her lower lip quivered in fear and she tried desperately not to shed tears in front of Rei. However her efforts were all in vain and within moments they were spilling down her cheeks.  
  
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I was just joking around Kira!" he said nervously as he jumped to his feet and ran over to where Kira was standing. "I'm not that hungry really," he repeated, not quite understanding why she'd burst into tears all of a sudden because he made a really lame joke.  
  
"No no, it's my fault. I don't know what happened, I just..." she murmured into his chest as he held her closely and rocked her back and forth in his strong arms.  
  
He walked her over to the bed and sat her down. "Maybe you're just over worked or something. Oh, and I read this book that said that pregnant women tend to get overly emotional about things because of the hormonal imbalance of...." he paused as he tried to remember what he read in the doctors office.  
  
Kira smiled up at him sweetly as tears still ran down her pale cheeks. "You're right, maybe I should rest a bit," she suggested.  
  
He nodded. "Hey, how about you let me do the cooking tonight?" he asked as a small smile formed on his face.  
  
"Sure."  
  
He walked to the kitchen and quickly perused the shelves in the fridge. "There's nothing in here..." he mumbled as he moved on to the tiny pantry. "Kira, all we have is mac and cheese. I'll go to the grocers and get something to eat with it," he reasoned as he reached for a hoodie and his keys.  
  
"No!" she cried out, sitting straight up in her bed. "Please don't leave. I mean.. uhh, I'm fine with macaroni and cheese," she added as she blushed with embarrassing knowing that Rei would pick up on it and ask her what was wrong. It was so hard to keep secrets from those closest to you. It felt like she was about to burst out about the phone call from her step- father.  
  
Rei's hand hovered over his house keys as he looked at her strangely. "Just macaroni alone? Are you sure? I was going to make a really fancy dinner," he said with a smile. "Macaroni avec cheese a la chicken," he said, faking a French accent.  
  
Kira smiled uneasily. "I know, but I uh. I'm not feeling too well right now so could you just stay here with me tonight?"  
  
Rei shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, if that's what you want," he said as he dropped his hoodie and began to prepare his meal.  
  
When Rei finished devouring his third plate of macaroni and cheese with shredded onions on top he noticed that Kira hadn't even touched her first plate of food. "Is it that bad?" he asked.  
  
Kira looked up at him from the bowl quickly, his voice shocking her out of her dazed state of mind. "Yeah, I mean no it's great," she said as she picked up one macaroni noodle in her fork and ate it to show him that she was enjoying the meal.  
  
"I could try something else if you don't like it. I don't mind," he insisted as he reached out for her bowl.  
  
"No, please don't. Actually I'm pretty tired now. I should just go to sleep. I'll eat whatever is left over in the morning," she insisted as she made her way to the bathroom to clean up for sleeping.  
  
After she came out and got into bed he followed suit and joined her. They laid down on their sides facing each other.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay? You've been acting a bit strange all day," he said softly. "You know that you can tell me anything."  
  
She smiled slightly at his concern, it made her feel good to know that somebody cared that deeply for her. Although she wanted to tell him about what happened on the telephone so that they could start thinking of something to do about it together she remembered what he did to Humiko back in the psychiatric ward and that he was just released from juvie. If he knew that she'd been threatened by her stepfather he'd mostly search and destroy and land himself in jail. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just fine."  
  
"Are you still upset about what happened on your first day of work?" he asked.  
  
"Huh? No, not at all," she replied, in fact she hadn't thought about what she'd do at work since the phone call. Should she even go back to work? He could know her work schedule.  
  
"Then what is it? Kira you're scaring me," he complained as he nuzzled up to her.  
  
"Don't worry about it Rei. I just haven't been feeling well lately," she lied, in fact she'd been feeling just fine physically which was far from what most women experienced when they were three months pregnant.  
  
Rei let it lie for a while as he watched her slowly drift to sleep. He watched as her chests slowly rose and fell with every breath she took and then allowed his eyes to drift down to her stomach, he noticed that it was growing a bit larger. He lifted his hand and placed it on her stomach lightly as not to wake her from her well earned sleep. He wondered what could have been bothering her and thought of how long she harbored what happened between her and her stepfather. She hid it from teachers, friends, her mother. He wondered what else besides that she could be hiding. He sighed deeply and then allowed himself to fall asleep.  
  
When he woke up the next morning he awoke to the regular smell of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Despite all the worrying he did the night before, the smell of food put a wide grin on his face.  
  
"Good morning Kira," he greeted her cheerfully as he placed a light kiss on her cheek and went to the bathroom to clean up.  
  
When he returned to the kitchen they table was set and she already set up a plate of food for him. "You really shouldn't have cooked this much today. You said you were feeling sick yesterday."  
  
"I know, but I feel better today. Besides I completely screwed up by forgetting to make both breakfast and dinner yesterday. So I guess that this is sort of to make up for that."  
  
Rei nodded. He glanced at the clock on he wall behind Kira and almost coughed up his orange juice when he saw the time. "I'm late!" he gasped as he picked up an entire pancake and shoved it in his mouth while hopping around for his shoe. "I've got to go!" he cried as he ran to the door. "Love you! Bye!"  
  
Kira smiled and shook her head, he was never one to wake up on time for anything. She cleaned up the table and mopped the kitchen quickly before going out to buy food for Rei's dinner. After coming home and resting for a while, lately she'd been getting tired easily, she heard a loud and violent knock at the door.  
  
She was very curious since she knew Harumi would be at work and Rei was also at work and she wasn't expecting anyone else to drop by. Kira cautiously top toed to the door and peeked through the door hole. Panic struck her heart and rushed through her veins when she recognized her step father's rough and unshaven face.  
  
Kira backed away and accidentally stumbled.  
  
"I know you're in there. You'll open this fucking door if you know what's good for you!" he barked, rapping at the door more violently than before.  
  
Kira scrambled for the phone and pressed it to her ear as she dialed 911 as quickly as possible.  
  
Her pupils became dilated and she dropped the phone in her hands when she saw the doorknob turn and heard the door creak open.  
  
"No... NOOO!" she cried as she ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, locked it and sat against the door. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she heard her stepfather tear through the house to the bathroom door, turning over tables, slamming chairs to the floor and punching holes in the walls.  
  
"Open the door!" he roared, kicking it three times.  
  
"Never! I'd rather die than go home with you again!" she cried out as she scrambled for something to assault her father with.  
  
"Open the door now Kira. There is no alternative, either you come home where you belong peacefully and unharmed, or I knock you senseless and drag you home by your feet. Either way this game of house you've been playing with Rei is over," he informed her as he kicked the door open and looked down at the trembling Kira menacingly. "Get up!"  
  
Kira refused to move and stayed rooted to her crouching position next to the tub.  
  
"Get UP!" he snapped, kicking her swiftly in her leg causing her to yowl out in pain.  
  
Still she refused and held onto the shower curtain.  
  
He frowned deeply and bent over and grabbed her legs but after getting kicked many times he kicked her once more, slapped her hard enough to make her head spin and her nose and lip bleed and then grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to her feet.  
  
She opened her mouth and attempted to scream for help but her lip was so badly busted that it hurt to part her lips. As he dragged her to the front door she frantically tried to grab things to hit him with and tried to hold onto door frames but her efforts were all in vain, for he was far more superior to her in strength. Within minutes she was being shoved into his sleek black mercedes benz and was driven away.  
  
Terror struck Rei's heart as he neared the front door of the apartment. The door was wide open , which in itself was a bad sign. He reminded Kira to never have the windows open more than half way and to never leave the door open. His feeling that something terrible happened increased when he saw the state of the apartment. Chairs were thrown to the floor, the bathroom door was kicked in, it looked like a mob of men trashed the house.  
  
A sheet of white paper on the night table caught his eye and he walked over and picked it up. His jaw dropped upon reading it. He couldn't speak and could barely breathe for a good ten minutes. He couldn't believe that his Kira was really gone. The room felt as though it were darkening and getting smaller and his entire world began to swirl around him. Rei's knees grew weak and he sunk down to the floor and allowed the tears that had welled up in his eyes when he spotted the note, run down his cheeks.  
  
Kira's father held her upper arm in a vice grip as he marched her up the stairs and to the front door of the townhouse he shared with her mother. He single handily got his keys out of her blazer jacket and opened the door. He shoved her into the house, almost causing her to trip and land face forward on the floor, and locked the door behind him.  
  
"Margaret! Come look what I brought home!" he called out proudly as he placed his hands on his hips.  
  
Her mother came rushing towards them in a house dress, covered by a smock, holding a washcloth in one hand and a dirty plate in the other. A wide smile spread across her badly wrinkled face when she saw Kira.  
  
Kira's breath became even more ragged when she looked upon her mother. In actuality she hated her mother more than her father because although she didn't make her stepfather rape her she knew and did nothing to stop it. She opened her mouth to say something but her lips were still to sore.  
  
"Come here, poor child! Who did this to you?" she asked as she looked over Kira's black and blue marks, black eye, bruised lips and torn clothes.  
  
"That rat bastard that she's staying with has been hitting her up," her stepfather lied casually.  
  
Kira's eyes opened wide in protest. She stepped back when her mother reached out to touch her and then ran upstairs and hid in her room. Being the very house, looking at her own bed brought back so many bad memories. She wished more than anything to be back in Rei's arms in thier apartment.  
  
Rei sat down in the leather reclining chair of his father's office.  
  
"Well well well, what brings you back here son?" his father wondered aloud as he took another puff of his newly imported cigar as he stepped into the office and ook a seat behind his large mahogany steps. His eyebrows raised slightly when he noticed how red and puffy Rei's eyes were and how drenched in sweat his hair was.  
  
"I need you're help," Rei said reluctantly, for those were the four words he dreaded saying, and the four words he knew his father couldn't wait to hear. His father vowed that he'd come crawling back one day for help, and he was right. Rei couldn't do this on his own.  
  
A/N- Sorry about taking so long to update. It's been more than a month. Thanks to those who reviewed my last story and a special thanks to Kitsunia. Please remember to review! 


	20. Where Do I Go From Here?

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Rei's father sat still in his seat and watched the end of his cigar butt burn as he listened to Rei explain his situation.  
  
He breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of the cigar. "Well... That's about all. Here's the letter he left," Rei said after his brief pause, digging into his back pocket before putting the crumpled sheet of paper on his father's mahogany desk.  
  
"Where did you say the girl's stepfather worked?" he asked, giving Rei a long and steady look.  
  
"Uh... Some fancy smancy law firm," Rei said after pausing for a good five minutes to think. "Why does it matter?"  
  
His icy cold blue eyes went wide and he ran a hand through his short and greasy hair. He held his head in his hands and shook it. "How could you have done something this stupid!? I don't think you can weasel your way out of this one. Even if you managed to pull through, there is no way that you'll ever see or hear from Kira again."  
  
"How could you have done something so stupid Rei," he said, mocking his stepfather. "The stupid thing would have been to let her go back home to her sadistic rapist stepfather!" Rei snapped back. His face began to grow red with anger, not all of it was directed at his father. He hated everything and everyone at that very second.  
  
"You know what I mean, don't try and put words into my mouth. I'm just trying to figure out what you were thinking. I mean you broke her out of a psychiatric ward and impregnated her," his father added, a look of complete disbelief played across his face. "Really Rei, this is a new low. I commend you," he finished off, bringing his hands together slowly as though he was applauding Rei.  
  
"I don't need this bullshit right now. Either you help me out or I go looking for help elsewhere," Rei said angrily as he placed a hand on each of his chair arms and got ready to storm out of his office.  
  
The smile left his father's face and he got serious once more. "Okay I'll help you, I know a good lawyer that specializes in this sort of thing. However I have a few conditions," he said, the smug smile returning to his face once more.  
  
Rei sucked in what was left of his pride and nodded his head.   
  
For the third time that day Kira listened to her mother crouch down on the floor on the other side of the room door. "Hey Kira, how are you doing in there? Dinner's ready. Why don't you come out and eat something?"  
  
Kira remained silent. She decided a long time ago that she'd hate her mother forever for knowing what her stepfather had been doing to her and doing absolutely nothing to stop it. In her eyes her mother was just as bad as her stepfather.  
  
"You'll get sick if you stay in there. Your baby will starve. I know you don't want to be here, but if you just put in just a little energy we can build a new family together. Your stepfather promises never to touch you again. He's changed, and I've changed too," she paused and sighed. She knew that Kira probably didn't buy any of it. "If you wont do it for us do it for us, then do it for yourself, for the baby."  
  
Kira crawled next to the door and rested against it. "You can tell I'm pregnant?" she asked softly, trying to maintain the iciness in her voice. Her clothes were beginning to get too small for her, but she didn't think she was that big yet.  
  
"Well, not that obvious... I remember back when you were younger up until you left that you never gained a pound no matter how much you ate. You walked in and your stomach was much rounder than usual, and the way you held your back while walking up the stairs. It's maternal instincts," her mother explained.  
  
"What did you make?" she asked, satisfied with her mother's reply.  
  
"You're favorite."  
  
"You mean tofu lo mein?" Kira asked, allowing herself to be excited for a while. The only food she had in close to a year was food from the home, and what she cooked herself and nothing compared to her mother's cooking. "Can you bring it up to my room?"  
  
"Sure thing," her mother replied glad that Kira had finally spoken to her. She had been three days and Kira never left her room.  
  
Moments later a harsh knock was heard on the other side. Kira made no move to open it. She knew it was her stepfather, her mother was mild and very meek and never knocked so violently.  
  
"Think you're so smart? I have a key to every door in this goddamn house!" her stepfather roared as he opened the door and flipped on the lights, causing Kira to wince from the sudden exposure. "Our hearing is a month from now, I just found out from our lawyer and thought that you should know," he said as he set the tray of food on her dresser.  
  
She looked at him skeptically for a moment. 'Just thought that you should know?' That sounded like something a considerate and kind person would say, both things that her stepfather was not. "Will Rei be there?" she asked, making her voice seem as cold and uncaring as possible. She can't give her stepfather the satisfaction of knowing that he got to her and broke her spirit.  
  
"I suppose. If you so much as smile at him I'll break your neck. You are to have no contact with him at all. You will not speak to the judge... or anyone else. The jury will think that you are mute, just like how you fooled me and everyone else into thinking that you were mute. It seems to be the only thing you're good at; fooling people, you dirty little bitch," he mumbled the last part under his breath, loud enough for Kira to hear, but low enough so that her mother wouldn't.  
  
Her eyes widened with terror as she got up, pushed past her stepfather and ran to her mother. "Court date? You're pressing charges against Rei!? Why?" Kira exclaimed , her face growing redder with anger  
  
"Honey, I know that you think you're in love and you're probably very angry with us right now but we're only doing what we think is best for you," her mother explained trying to sound as sincere as possible. It wasn't helping, every breath that escaped from between her slightly wrinkled lips made Kira hate her even more.  
  
"And we've both decided that what's best for you is that Rei be locked away where he can't hurt you anymore," her stepfather continued from behind her.  
  
Kira whipped around to face him, "You're the one who needs to be locked away where you can't hurt me!" she cried, using the last of confidence she didn't even know she had.  
  
"What!?" he snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he reached out for her pony tail and pulled her close.  
  
She winced and tried to turn her face away as his hot breath beat down on her cheeks. Kira tried to open her mouth and repeat what she'd just said, tried to do the brave thing, tried to do what Rei would have done, but found that the words would not come.  
  
"I thought so," he said angrily as he thrust her away from him, causing her to stumble backwards and almost lose her balance and crash into the kitchen table.  
  
Rei's knee bopped in time to the second hand on the large grandfather clock on the wall behind the desk of the lawyer. His tired and weary eyes glanced over to it for the thousandth time since he entered the stuffy office wo hours ago. He watched as the lawyers stubby and wrinkly fingers rummaged through the thick folder on his lap.  
  
"So, how do things look in terms of how things will or may end up?" Rei's father asked intently.  
  
The lawyer's beady eyes darted from the pile in his lap, to the notes he'd been taking on the notepad on his desk, to the slouching frame of Rei's body and finally rested his eyes on Kashino senior. "Well in all honesty the future looks very bleak," he said sadly.  
  
This caught Rei's attention and he sat up in his seat and edged closer to the desk to be able to hear the lawyer better.  
  
"You knew she was faking being mute and failed to report it," he began, but was quickly interrupted by Rei.  
  
"It was to save her from being sent back home to her abusive stepfather!" he exclaimed, almost jumping out of his seat.  
  
"You must learn how to control that anger if you want to win this case," his father said, throwing Rei a warning glance.  
  
Rei bit his tongue and said nothing more in his defense.  
  
"She could have been a pathological liar, Unless you have rock hard evidence that her stepfather molested her then you have absolutely nothing. 'He said, she said,' does not stand well in the court of law," the lawyer said, resuming from where he left off. "There's so much else that looks horrible on your record. I mean disorderly conduct in school shoplifting, grand theft auto, assault with a deadly weapon... It's a wonder they even aloud you out of home," he commented after reading his offenses out loud. He shook his head in dismay, causing his hair peice to shift on his head, hanging lopsidedly on his head.  
  
Having heard all of this a million times Rei allowed his mind to drift off to other matters. He wondered where Kira was right now, prayed that she wasn't hurting, and wished pain upon her stepfather. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to shove the unpleasant thoughts out of his mind. Why was all of this happening to him; to her; to them? They'd finally found happiness alone together and something this terrible had to force them apart.  
  
Tears sprung to his eyes as he began to envision her face, realizing just how much he really missed and cared about her.  
  
'Shit, I haven't cried this much since Sei died,' thought to himself angrily before quickly covering his eyes with his hand and hurrying out of the office.  
  
Kira sat down on the carpeted floor of her bedroom staring at her twin bed, where it all began.  
  
At the time her stepfather and mother had begun to date pretty seriously and he was sleeping over pretty regularly. For the most part she liked him, he took them out to fancy restaurants and allowed her to order whatever her heart disired.  
  
A few times before he savagely raped her for the first time he'd tuck her in bed, feeling the small mounds of her breasts through her thin cotton night gown, or kissing her like men and women did in romance movies. Being only ten years old and wanting her mother to be happy she thought nothing of it, no matter how uncomfortable it made her.  
  
It was late at night and her mother was fast asleep down the all in her own bedroom. Kira too had been fast asleep until the sound of her stepfather busting through the door woke her. He held a bottle of beer in one hand and his breath reeked of the devil substance that seemed to run through his veins.  
  
"Good, you're already awake," he leered as he threw the bottle to the floor and advancing towards her, closing the door behind him.  
  
She began to tremble in fear, terribly unsure of what he would do next.  
  
He pinned her small arms and legs to the bed after shoving one of her stuffed animals in her mouth to muffle the sound of any scream she may try to make. Hot kisses that seared her cheeks and lips, then progressed to her neck, shoulders and eventually her breasts. His hot kisses and ferverent licks turned into painful nibbling of he nipples.  
  
Kira's young and inexperienced body writhed and bucked beneath him as she squeezed er eyes shut, afraid that looking would make her remember more when he was finished.  
  
He alternated between placing brutal kisses on her body to feeling his way to her nether lips. A gasp was absorbed by the small bear that was shoved into her mouth when he found it and plunged his fingers inside, stretching her out. A tear ran down her cheek, soon followed by another and another as the large man above her grew more excited and his actions grew jerkier and more violent. He pushed into her and relentlessly slammed into her until the unbearable pain became too much for the ten year old girl and she blacked out.  
  
The next conscious moment she remembered was waking up in sweat, semen and blood stained sheets.  
  
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked away from her bed to the window. She knew she'd never forget the first time she'd been raped by her stepfather, nor the many other times after that. Without Rei she found it hard not to sink back into the inviting dark pool of loathing that she spent seven years of her life drowning in. She silently prayed that she'd see him again soon and slowly drifted off into a restless sleep.  
  
Author's Notes- Hello Reader, thank you so much for reading this far. For a while I was feeling pretty uninspired, especially because I barely got any reviews for my last two chapters. I'm on summer vacation now thankfully and so I should be able to review more often than usual. 


	21. See You In Court

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Rei turned to the back of the court room when he heard the double doors swing open. Two suited men walked in side by side, he assumed one was Kira's stepfather and the other was her lawyer. They were soon followed by Kira herself and her mother. A warm feeling erupted in Rei's heart that he hadn't felt since the day her father broke into their apartment and brought her back to his house. He wanted to run to her and place a hand on her belly to feel their baby. He didn't realize how much he missed her until now.  
  
His father who sat next to him nudged Rei. "Don't stare," he whispered warningly.  
  
Rei nodded and looked down at his lap and tried not to think about Kira.  
  
Kira trudged down the aisle, trying to ignore the stares of the people in the seats around her. She wondered what they were thinking as they gazed at her, but didn't like what came to mind and quickly jumped to more pleasant thoughts. As she glanced about the court room her eyes landed on Rei. She almost gasped at what she saw. He looked a good two or three years older than the Rei she knew and loved. He wore a navy blue dress pants, a white dress shirt and a light blue tie that brought out the beauty of his eyes. What was most impressive was his new haircut. His once shoulder length shaggy blonde hair was now chin length neatly cut blonde hair. A faint, almost unnoticeable smile played on her pale face.  
  
It made her angry that she had to be on the opposite side of the courtroom with her stepfather instead of next to Rei, accusing the real rapist. She pushed the angry thoughts out of her mind so that she could maintain the look of not feeling on her face and followed her stepfather and lawyer to the plaintiff's desk.  
  
"All rise for the honorable Judge Smith," the bailiff said mechanically once both parties were settled in. "Case number 30889: Kashino vs. Aso. Charges of assault, rape, kidnapping, and a suit of $50,200."  
  
Rei had to hold onto the desk in front of him to keep himself standing. He couldn't believe his ears. If Mr. Aso won the case he could face a lot of time in jail... real jail. For the first time he was really scared.   
  
Rei exhaled deeply as he walked out of the court. It felt like forever since the last time he stretched his limbs.  
  
"You did well today son, I'm proud," his father said as he placed an assuring hand on Rei's shoulder. He feared that during the trail he'd jump out of his seat and say something obscene, or something else that would make them look bad.  
  
Rei nodded, he was exhausted and didn't feel like saying anything to his father. From the corner of his eye he spotted Kira walking alone towards the lavatory. "I uh... I have to use the bathroom. I'll meet you at the car," Rei said without taking his eyes off her.  
  
His father looked at him strangely for a moment, but then ignored the strange feeling he had and nodded. "Hurry up."  
  
Rei smiled and jogged over in Kira's directions, throwing cautious glances from side to side, making sure that she wasn't being watched by her stepfather, or anybody else.  
  
Kira jumped when she felt somebody grasp her hand.  
  
"Shh... it's just me," he whispered into her ear from behind her.  
  
She whipped around to face him and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. She pressed her face into his shirt to silence her sobs.  
  
"It's okay babe, it's okay," he said gently as he rubbed her back.  
  
They stood there in the empty hallway for what felt like hours. Rei heard foot steps and then motioned for her to follow him. He spotted an open closet and pulled her inside.  
  
"How have you been?" he asked her softly as they sat on boxes in the storage closet, a small lightbulb glowing above their heads.  
  
She opened her mouth to say 'okay,' like she said to everybody else but then thought better of it. "Not so good... I hate it there," she told him honestly.  
  
"I'm so sorry I let this happen. I should have been there with you when he came to take you back," Rei said, admitting how he felt for the first time.  
  
She shook her head. "It wasn't your fault Rei," she said, not telling him about the phone call she received before hand, afraid he'd be angry with her.  
  
"Has he tried to..." he began, but couldn't finish. He got all chocked up with anger whenever he thought about somebody else touching her like that.  
  
"No," she replied quickly. She was thankful, Kira expected him to try and have sex with her on her first day back.  
  
"How's the baby doing?" he asked, getting on his knees and resting his head against her growing stomach, hoping to hear or feel something.  
  
Kira placed her hand on his head and running her long slender fingers through his hair. "The baby's just fine."  
  
"I can't believe he would have aborted it," Rei said angrily, moving his hand in little circles on her belly.  
  
Kira swallowed the lump in her throat, remembering that she too considered aborting the baby before Rei found out about it.  
  
Rei got to his feet again. "I've got to go..." he said with a sigh as he remembered his father's warning.  
  
She reached out shyly for his hand. "I love you," she told him.  
  
"I love you too," Rei said, placing a hand on each side of her face and kissing her passionately before opening the door and walking to his father's car.  
  
"What's that on you're shirt?" Rei's father asked when they were both in his black sedan.  
  
Rei looked down and identified the large damp spot on his shirt. It was where Kira had been crying on him. "The faucet in the bathroom wasn't working and it sprayed water on my shirt," he lied.  
  
Kashino sr. bought it and began to go over the case with Rei.   
  
"Were were you after the trail today?" her stepfather asked as Kira rose from her place at the dining room table and walked towards the kitchen to wash her plates.  
  
"I went to the bathroom," she said, hoping that he'd believe it and stop pestering her.  
  
He got up and followed her to the kitchen, despite his wife's pleas for him to leave it be. "You lying bitch! I saw Rei exit the court house just minutes before you left!"  
  
"I didn't see him. I didn't even know he was still in the court house. I swear!" she said as she backed away from him slowly.  
  
He reached out for her wrist and pulled her close to him, raising the other hand to strike her face. "Stop telling lies!"  
  
Kira pulled away from him and ran up the stairs towards her bedroom, knowing he'd come after her.  
  
He jogged after her and finally got hold of her when she reached the top of the staircase. "Don't you walk away when I'm talking to you!" he snapped as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards him.  
  
She missed a step and came tumbling down the stairs, her head banging against several stairs and the wall. By the time she reached the base of the steps she lost conciousness.  
  
"Hey! Why didn't you wake me up!? Aren't we late?" Rei asked as he rushed into the dining room, preparing his tie at the same time.  
  
"Oh I didn't want to wake you. The trail date has been postponed until Kira's out of the hospital," he replied cooly as he took another bite of his pancake.  
  
"Hospital? What are you talking about? Why is she in the hospital?" Rei asked, feeling sick to his stomach.  
  
"I don't know, I wasn't given the details. All I know is that she had some sort of accident and now she's in critical condition in the hospital."  
  
Rei's breathing became more rapid and heavy and his heart began to beat spastically. All sorts of thoughts began to run through his mind. He knew that her stepfather was to blame for the "accident" and knew that he had to see her.  
  
Author's Note- ::Wipes sweat from brow:: I am very glad to be finished with this chapter. It was so hard to do the whole court scene (I was going to make it a full length court scene, but I'm not into that sort of thing and got bored with it. Maybe in the later chapters) seeing how I've never been to court and don't know what goes on in a court. All I know is what I've seen on television. I hope that this chapter was realistic enough. It kills me to have Rei and Kira apart for so long. I'll enjoy writing the ending of this story. There are only 3-4 chapters left, maybe less depending on how things go. Please review! More reviews= inspiration= longer chapters and faster updates! 


	22. Pain

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Kira's eyes fluttered open for the first time in days. When the bright ceiling lights assaulted her eyes she cringed and clenched them shut. After a few minutes she dared to open her eyes once more. She grimaced, that fall really did a number on her, for the room was spinning and her head was pounding. Kira reached out for the bed rails and attempted to sit up to better survey her surroundings, but was stopped by the shooting pains in her lower back.  
  
"Oh thank God she's awake!" came the shrill cry of her mother as she came rushing into the room, knocking over the vase of flowers as she made her way to her daughter. "Kira," she murmured happily as she took Kira's bandaged head in both her hands and kissed her forehead gently.  
  
"How long have I been here?" Kira asked when her mother finally pulled away.  
  
"Four days," answered her mother, pulling a chair to the side of Kira's bed.  
  
Kira let the number sink into her head... four whole days. A lot could have happened in four days, Rei could be sitting in jail or worse. "What's happened in court? Is the trail over?" Kira asked worriedly.  
  
"Oh, they stopped the trails until you've recovered," replied her mother. "You're father and I have been so worried about you," her mother whispered, placing her hand over Kira's pale and frail ones; careful not to trouble the IV.  
  
Kira's lips tightened. She wanted to argue that her stepfather was the one who caused all this to happen, but she was far too tired. "Has anybody come to see me?" she asked instead.  
  
"If you mean that Kashino boy then no," her mother answered, in a tone that hinted disapproval.  
  
Kira frowned inwardly. Why hadn't Rei come to visit her, in the moments before waking up for the first time since she was in the hospital she'd been hoping to wake up to seeing his face. It hurt her to know that he hadn't even visited her. "How serious is it? What happened to me, to the baby?" she asked after an awkward period of silence elapsed.  
  
"Oh sweetie," her mother murmured as she began to stroke Kira's cheek.  
  
"Any word on where Kira's being held or exactly what is wrong with her?" Rei asked as he slipped into his chair at the dining table.  
  
"Whatever happened to 'Hello and good morning?'" his father mused aloud in response before taking a sip of his tea.  
  
"Well? Have you heard anything?" Rei persisted, eager for any information. It drove him mad that his girlfriend was hurt and in some hospital and he didn't even have the slightest idea of what was happening to her.  
  
"Oh, Simmons called earlier..."  
  
"Simmons? Who's he and what does he have to do with Kira?" Rei asked quizzically.  
  
"He's you're lawyer..." his father answered with a shake f the head. "Any ways, he says that she should be making a speedy recovery... but I forgot what hospital he told me she was in. I think it was uh... something victory... memorial-"  
  
"Victory Memorial Hospital!" Rei finished for him.  
  
"Yeah, that's it," said his father.  
  
Rei let out a small chuckle. "Memory getting bad in you're old age eh pops?" he joked.  
  
Rei's father let out a hearty laughter. "I suppose you're right," he replied. "Hey?! Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat you're breakfast? Hurry or it'll get cold."  
  
"I... uh not feeling well. I think it's a stomach virus, I'll be upstairs in my room," Rei said, coming up with a quick lie.  
  
"Stomach virus? Maybe I shouldn't go to that meeting I had scheduled with the managers at the office," his father said, looking concerned. "You should go and see a doctor."  
  
"No no, I'm sure it isn't that bad. Just tell Jeeves not to bother me while I'm sleeping. I'll be fine in a day," Rei said, speaking quicker than usual.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked as he reached into his brief case to get out his cellphone.  
  
"Yes yes, I'm as strong as an ox. Don't worry about it," Rei said as he got up and began to walk upstairs. He held onto the railing with one hand and held his stomach as though he were in pain with the other. "Have a good day at work!" he called out when he was at the top of the stairs.  
  
When he was out of sight he ran into his room and shut the door behind him. He dove into the pile on clothes in front of his bed and looked for his phone. He dialed Tatsuya's number as quickly as his fingers could manage.  
  
"Ugh... hello?" came the groggy voice of Tatsuya after many rings.  
  
"Yeah hey, I wanted to ask you a favor," Rei said, cutting right to the point. He had no time for small chat.  
  
"Favor? People don't ask other people favors this early in the morning," Tatsuya replied, getting ready to hang up on Rei.  
  
"Come on it's important," he pleaded with Tatsuya, glancing at the clock on his desk. It was already ten o'clock.  
  
"Nothing's important this early in the morning. How about you call me back at three and we'll work something out," he said, pushing his head further into the pillow.  
  
"It's about Kira," Rei said, and Tatsuya knew it was serious. "Look, I know what room she's in and I need you to come with me so I can visit her. They probably wont give me a pass to see her, knowing her step dad and all. So what I need you to do is get the pass and then give it to me, after I'm done I give it to you sneak out the way I sneaked in and you return the pass to the receptionist."  
  
Tatsuya groaned loudly. "What time?"  
  
"Now."  
  
"Ah, so sleeping beauty awakes!"  
  
Kira opened her eyes to see who the voice belonged to, hoping that it would be Rei. After seeing him at court, she missed him even more. She frowned when she saw her stepfather standing in the doorway.  
  
"I knew you'd be just fine. You had you're mother all worried for nothing..."  
  
"Murderer," she whimpered as tears streamed down her face, her heart was completely enveloped with rage and hate.  
  
"What? I didn't quite catch that," he said, playing innocent.  
  
"You murderous beast! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" she cried out, waking all the patients in the rooms surrounding hers.  
  
"Surely you don't mean that," he replied, completely unfazed by what she just said. He took a few steps closer until he was standing at her bedside, then turned to check if he had closed the door.  
  
"Get out," she ordered him, but the fire in her died out and he was unaffected.  
  
He leaned over and kissed her tear stained cheeks.  
  
She wanted to yell out again, get the attention of a nurse maybe, but for some reason her voice box did not want to cooperate. Kira grimaced as his lips touched hers and as his hot tongue flicked her lips as if asking them to part for him.  
  
"What's the matter? Loosen up and be a good girl for daddy," he said as his hands ventured under her covers and searched for a way under her nightgown.  
  
As he did this Kira looked for the nurse alert button and prayed that they'd come in time and that he wouldn't notice before they got there.  
  
"Ah, that's a good girl," he said when he found the corner of the one piece open back hospital gown and began to fondle and squeeze her tender breasts.  
  
She winced in pain and wished he'd stop. Kira always knew that he was an animal to rape a little girl, but to rape a girl in the hospital was just satanic and unforgivable. She tried to turn her face away from him as his tongue brutally rubbed against hers almost suffocating her.  
  
Her stepfather's rubbing became rougher and faster, she knew what was coming as he removed one hand and placed it on his belt and braced herself for it.  
  
"How may I help you..." came the nurse as she stood in the doorway, but stopped short for she was confused and did not know how to register the scene in front of her.  
  
Kira looked up at the ceiling and sighed outwardly, thankful that someone had come before he drove his staff into her already wounded body.  
  
"I... uh... She had an itch but couldn't reach so I was helping her with it," he said, offering a lie not even the world's biggest fool would believe.  
  
"I'm afraid that I'll have to inform-" the young nurse stopped speaking when he approached her, slipped a hundred in her hand and left.  
  
Kira looked at her, pleading with her eyes for the nurse to do something, but the nurse looked away nervously and stepped out of the room. The door shut gently and Kira was once again by herself. At times like these she felt that she was forsaken and was never meant to get away from her stepfather, that maybe some people didn't have happy endings.  
  
The door swung open ten minutes later, and fear struck her. It seemed that her father came back to finish what he'd started.  
  
"I was hoping you'd be awake," came the voice of the one person she'd been dying to see the entire day. "No, it's all right you shouldn't be sitting up," Rei said as he placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from trying to sit upright.  
  
"I wanted to see you so badly," she said, raising a hand to caress his cheek.  
  
"I would have come sooner, but I couldn't find out where they were keeping you," Rei said as he sat down in the chair next to her bed. He reached out and gently grasped her hands, careful of the wires poking out of them.  
  
She nodded, feeling guilty about being angry with him for not seeing her. "It's okay..."  
  
"I was going to bring you flowers, but if I left them here then you're mom and dad might know that it was me. Then I thought about buying you chocolate but I didn't know if you'd be able to eat it... you know hospitals and their strict rules. If you want it though I'll go and buy you a bar from the gift shop downstairs."  
  
Kira's lips curved upwards, only a ghost of a smile on her bruised face. "You're babbling. Why are you so nervous?" She knew him that well.  
  
He looked down as a blush crept upon his cheeks. "I get jittery whenever I go to hospitals. It reminds me of when my mom was in the hospital... bad memories and all that," he explained shortly.  
  
Kira nodded and closed her eyes, she was satisfied now that Rei was at her side.  
  
"How's the baby? He didn't get hurt did he?" Rei asked as he looked at her stomach, he couldn't tell the size of her stomach because of all the blankets on top of her.  
  
Her eyes welled up with tears again and a hard lump formed in her throat. "It would have been a boy," was all she could manage to say before tears overwhelmed her and she began to sob again.  
  
Rei stared at her blankly, of all the disappointments, his brother's death, the discovery of his real father's death, having to give up his motorcycle, being sentenced to years in juvie, being in court now. None of it compared to this, nothing. He shook his head. "No... It couldn't have. Kira please don't tell me."  
  
Kira moved her hands from in front of her eyes and looked at the heartbroken man in front of her. "They tried to save it... They took him out and thought they could put him in an incubator, but he died hours later. The fall was too much for him."  
  
He closed his eyes as though everything in the room was far too painful for him to look at. It felt as if his heart would stop any second and the entire world was crashing down on him. A lone tear traveled down his cheek, soon followed by many others.  
  
Kira looked at him, almost in shock. She'd never seen him this crushed before. A large part of her just wanted to make his pain go away. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she just reached out a hand and ran it through his golden tresses hoping to calm him down.  
  
Author's Note- ::Sobs:: So sad! ::Sigh:: I'm sorry, I know most of you guys didn't want her to have a miscarriage but... yeah it just had to happen. Hark! An idea has settled down upon me alas! Hehe... I think I may decide to write a fairly short song inspired Mars fic. It's something along the lines of a Cinderella story mixed with the song 'Wrong Way' by Sublime. So, what do you guys think? Sounds exciting to me, I should have the first chapter up in one or two weeks (I like having a story map when writing fanfics... or anything else for that matter). 


	23. Thankful

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Chapter 23.0- Thankfulness  
  
Kira opened her eyes when she heard the door swing open, not really caring for what she may find. Her life became a cycle of pain since the last time she saw Rei. In her sleep she saw Rei's pain stricken face. When she woke doctors were poking and prodding her. Every now and then her stepfather would visit when he needed his 'fix'. Once a day her mother would stop by and tell her how sorry her stepfather was., not knowing that her pleads fell upon dead ears.  
  
"Kira!" shrieked Kira's short blond haired friend. "It feels like it's been ages since I've seen you last!"  
  
A smile formed on Kira's face, it's been so long since the last time she smiled that it felt unnatural. "Harumi!" Kira attempted to sit up in her bed without the aid of the adjustable bed, but stopped short when a sharp pain shot up her spine.  
  
Harumi read the pain etched on her face and ran to Kira. "Oh no, are you okay?" she asked, worrying herself to tears. "Kira please talk to me!" she cried, reaching out but not touching Kira in fear of furthering her pain. "Should I call a nurse."  
  
Kira shook her head immediately. "It's... It's okay," Kira said when the pain finally subsided. "I'm better now," she said, cracking a smile to convince Harumi that she was really okay. Kira laid back in her bed and used the remote attached to the side of her bed so that she'd be on eye level with Harumi.  
  
"How have you been? How are you holding up in here? Tatsuya told me what happened," she said with a pause. "I'm really sorry."  
  
"You're not the one who should be sorry," Kira told her, an icy tone taking over her voice. "So how are things at work?" she asked even though she knew she'd probably never be able to go back to work there.  
  
Harumi shrugged. "He's an ass as usual. Hey, your father has he done anything to you since you got home?" she asked in a hushed tone.  
  
Kira nodded, her eyes glazing over with unshed tears. "I can't go back there Harumi. Some people don't change, my stepfather's one of them. If I go back..." she stopped, no longer able to hold back her sobs.  
  
Harumi reached out and held Kira close. "If there's anything I can do to help just let me know okay."  
  
Kira nodded and then leaned back into her bed. "Thanks anyway, your visit meant a lot to me."  
  
"Think nothing of it. Oh before I forget, I brought something for you!" she said as she pulled the sparkly gift bag up from the floor and onto her lap. "First, a teddy bear. Everybody in the hospital needs a teddy," she said as she handed Kira a small white bear with wings.  
  
"Aww, thank you Harumi. You shouldn't have," she said as she turned it around in her hands. She gasped when she spotted a name embroidered in gold on it's bottom. "Harumi! If they see a bear with Rei's name on it they're going to think it's him and-"  
  
Harumi let out a giggle. "I thought of that already. That's why I got you these," she said, taking the bear from Kira and pulling on a pair of boxers specially made for the bear. "Tada!"  
  
Kira smiled and held the bear close. "Thank you."  
  
"That's not all. I got you magazines for incase you get bored and-"  
  
"Five more minutes. The doctor's coming to see Ms. Aso soon," said a nurse as she walked past the door.  
  
"Well I should get going. I'll come by and see you soon," Harumi said, stacking the magazines in a neat pile before getting up to leave.  
  
"Wait before you go there is one thing you can do for me," Kira said, reaching out to Harumi to grab hold of her before she went too far.  
  
Harumi nodded.  
  
Rei smiled to himself when he heard the doors of the court room open and the sound of footsteps pitter patter down the pathway. Although he was far from happy about being in court he was more than happy that Kira was finally out of the hospital after such a long time.  
  
The bailiff said his piece as he did every day he was in court, both parties, the jury and onlookers did as they were told and the trail was well on it's way.  
  
Apparently The Kashino's lawyer wasn't half as experienced in the field as he said he was because the Aso's lawyer crushed each and every argument raised by small old man. Things were looking very bleak. Things got worse when the Aso's lawyer presented the lawyer with visual evidence of Rei's 'crimes.'  
  
"This tape was provided to us by the security guards at Kira's psychiatric ward. It occurred on April twenty-first and several times afterwards. If you'll play it for the jury I'll be able to point out Kira's obvious unwillingness-"  
  
Rei blocked out the rest of what the lawyer said. He still was in disbelief, how could they make up such things. Why was it so hard to believe that they were truly in love and simply went about it the wrong way.  
  
The judge took the tape from him and popped it into the vcr at her desk. Everyone in the room focused their attention on the television that had been rolled in by the bailiff.  
  
Kira's stepfather's face contorted in horror when instead of Rei kissing Kira, Him climbing on top of her in the hospital bed showed on the television. "No, no it's not me! This is one sort of joke, a prank!" His face turned a deep shade of red and a vein popped out of his forehead.  
  
"Silence Mr. Aso," the judge said, cutting him ff quickly.  
  
His face paled and he sunk back into his seat. He knew that there was no way to weasel his way out of this.  
  
Rei's eye's became watery as he watched er stepfather unfasten his pants and shove Kira's legs apart. On the television she grimaced and fought the urge to scream for help or to yowl in pain as he plowed into her again and again. Rei covered his eyes with his hands, not being able to take any more.  
  
The judge apparently couldn't take any more of it either and pressed stop. "It appears we have another case on our hands. The suit against Mr. Kashino has been thrown out, you're free to go. Mr. Aso on the other hand..." police officers walked from the back of the room to the front and handcuffed Mr. Aso.  
  
Kira watched as her stepfather walked to with the police officers, his head hung low in shame. It felt like she was watching a dream. She never thought that she'd ever be able to get herself free from that evil man. Her heart sank when she saw her mother run up to the judge and then back to the lawyer, trying to work out some way to keep her husband's prison stay to a minimum. It seemed that her mother would always have problems accepting the truth and reality. Kira glanced over at Rei and they made eye contact and they exchanged wordless emotions of thankfulness.  
  
A/N- By the way this is only part of the 23rd chapter. The rest will be up shortly. I'm sure that most of my readers will be happy that the stepfather has finally been put away. As to how the whole tape thing happened it will be explained in the next chapter, so no complaints! I don't want to hear 'there's no way that would happen.' My new story Wrong Way is up, please read it! 


End file.
